


Black Blizzard

by PorterHawk96



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Babybones, Bullying, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt Papyrus, Hurt/Comfort, No resets, Panic Attacks, Papyrus Needs A Hug, Papyrus-centric, Protective Sans, Sad Papyrus, Sans Needs A Hug, Sans-centric, sick papyrus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-02
Updated: 2018-05-29
Packaged: 2018-11-22 14:43:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 33,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11382333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PorterHawk96/pseuds/PorterHawk96
Summary: A prank pulled by some school bullies turns deadly when an unexpected blizzard hits Snowdin. Now both of our favorite skeletons are in for a really bad time, as well as the rest of the town.





	1. It Started Off Innocent

**Author's Note:**

> Welp, this is the first story I've written in years (the hundreds of papers I've written in college probably don't count). I am definitely more of a visual artist, so writing doesn't come naturally to me. I apologize if it's not all that great, but I figured everyone needs more Sans and Papyrus angst! Right?...I apologize in advance.
> 
> Papyrus is about 8 years old in this story, and Sans is around 17-18.
> 
> Enjoy!

“Hey Papyrus!”

Paps jumped and looked around frantically. No ones ever called for him after school before, nor is he referred to by anything other than ‘Weirdo’ by his classmates.

“Behind you squirt.” Papyrus turned around to see four larger monsters, an ice cap, two snowdrakes from his class and a rabbit monster a year ahead of him. Papyrus put on the biggest smile he could muster. 

“Hello friends! Is there anything the Great Papyrus can do for you?” The larger rabbit monster wrapped her arm around his shoulders.

“Actually there is,” she told him as she dragged him forward. “The gang and I were gonna check out something super cool in the woods today, and we wanted to know if you would join us?” She snickered at the young skeleton.

“Wowie! That sounds great! But I should really ask my brother if I can go-”

“Don’t worry about that.” the rabbit monster shot back. “It won’t take very long, and we’ll be back before anyone knows were gone.” Papyrus paused for a second. She said it would be a short trip, right? And he’s never been invited to do anything with anyone after school before. Maybe they really wanted to be friends with him!

“Okay, the Great Papyrus accepts!”

“Excellent.” the rabbit monster shot a quick grin back to her friends, whom snickered back. “Come on, the secret place is in the forest.” They led the way over the bridge and out of Snowdin, with Papyrus excitedly following close behind. As they passed the town welcome sign, snowflakes started to fall.

\------------

Sans stepped through the front door and kicked off his shoes. It had been a long day at the lab, and all he wanted to do was nap. Sighing, Sans crashed on the couch and flipped on the TV. An MTT weather report was just starting, warning of a terrible blizzard later in the evening.

“yikes, looks like we’ll be staying in tonight.” Sans mumbled. He glanced up at the clock. 3:30. Papyrus should be home from school in an hour. Welp, that would give him enough time for a quick nap before figuring out dinner for him and Paps. With that settled, Sans yawned loudly and fell fast asleep.

\------------

“Were here!” the rabbit monster announced, her friends quickly running to catch up. Papyrus timidly followed, scared but fascinated by the object in front of him. It was a large, very old looking stone door set at the very back of a cave. Glowing mushrooms surrounded it, giving the place an otherworldly glow.

“Wowie! What is this place?” Papyrus gaped.

“It's our secret hideout.” the icecap chirped.

“Super secret hideout, so you have to be super sure not to tell anyone about it, alright?” the rabbit monster said, putting her hand on Papyrus’ shoulder. Papyrus nodded enthusiastically. 

“But of course!” He said, “the Great Papyrus would never reveal his friends’ secret hideout!”

“Good.” the rabbit said slyly, knowing she had fully gained his trust. “Hey, why don’t we play a game before heading back to town?” The others nodded in agreement.

“Okay!” Papyrus jumped excitedly. “What are we playing?”

“Hide and Seek, you know how to play that, right?”

“Of course!” Papyrus had only ever played with his brother, but always thought it would be better with more people.

“Good, then you can be the first seeker, okay?” Papyrus excitedly nodded. “Good, now you stand here and count to 200, while the rest of us hide in the surrounding forest, alright?”

“Alrighty! I’ll start right now!” Papyrus turned to the wall and covered his eyes. “1...2...3...4…” The others quickly made their way out of the cave and up the hill, with the snowdrakes using ice magic to cover their tracks. 

“How long do you think it will take before he realizes we left?” the taller snowdrake asked. 

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he keeps looking till nightfall.” The rabbit laughed. The others laughed along with her as they headed back to town.

\------------

“197...198...199...200! Ready or not here I come!” Papyrus burst out of the cave opening, only to find the snow was already falling even harder. Not seeing any footprints, he rushed up the hill and began looking behind every tree and rock he could find. ”They must have picked some really good hiding spots, but I shall not be deterred!” Papyrus said, striking a triumphant pose. “The Great Papyrus will never give up!”

\------------

Papyrus searched for what felt like hours, but was unable to find even a footprint from his friends. The forest was getting darker, and the wind was starting to pick up along with the snow. He was tired, and he knew Sans would be worried about him if he stayed any longer. 

“Friends! I think you are far too good at hiding for the Great Papyrus to find! So maybe you should all come out so we can head back?” No response. “Uh, friends?” Still no response. Papyrus was gullible, but he wasn’t stupid, it only took a few minutes of shouting to realize that the others weren’t in the forest anymore. Sockets stinging with tears, Papyrus began walking. Why would they leave him, they showed him their secret hideout. That should have meant they were friends… right? Perhaps they realized how late it was getting and rushed home, maybe forgetting to tell him! That seemed reasonable. 

Nodding with satisfaction at his conclusion, Papyrus began looking for the trail, only to realize he didn’t recognize this area of the forest. In fact, the snow was coming down very hard now, reducing visibility greatly. A sudden gust of wind blew the scarf off his neck into the blizzard.

“No wait!” he reach for the scarf but it disappeared into the storm. Papyrus zipped his coat up further, pulling his hood over his skull. As a skeleton, Papyrus didn’t have to worry about freezing, though Sans had warned that cold temperatures could make their bones more brittle. As long as he tread carefully though, that shouldn’t be an issue.

“Hello is anyone there!” He shouted, hoping someone could help him. The wind only began howling in response.

“Can somebody help me please!”

“Somebody! Anybody!”

“Please!”

It finally sunk in that Papyrus was completely alone. The woods started to feel a lot darker and bigger then a moment ago, and his breathing began to quicken. Picking a direction and hoping it would lead to town, Papyrus began walking. He trudged on, but strong gusts of wind and deep snow made him trip frequently. The storm was getting louder, and Papyrus’ desperation and panic began to take over. As the storm picked up speed, so did his footfall until walking became sprinting. 

There was too much noise. He couldn’t remember the forest ever sounding like this. The wind sounded so hollow, so angry. He couldn't think straight anymore. Sans must know he’s missing by now. Maybe he’ll be out looking for him already. But what if Sans gets lost too, or hurt? What if he never makes it back, never gets to see his brother again?

The thoughts made Papyrus tear up again. No! He wasn't going to upset Sans! He would make it home and they would eat dinner and have story time before bed. He would apologize for not telling Sans where he went and-

That last thought was interrupted when he stumbled, realizing he had wandered too close to an embankment. Crashing forward he tumbled down, a sharp pain ripped through his humorous when he collided with a large rock. He was falling again before he had a chance to yelp, feeling like a ragdoll at the mercy of the hill. A sharp crack echoed through his skull when he reached the bottom. He laid there dazed for a few minutes before realizing he wasn’t moving anymore. Papyrus tried to use the tree trunk he hit as leverage to stand with, but the moment he moved a sharp pain shot through his temple and arm. He could barely hear himself screaming over the wind, tears flowing down his face as he cried in pain. 

This was it. He was going to die here. There's no way he can crawl up that incline. There was no way he can even move. His bones had begun rattling, though he couldn't tell if that was from fear or from the cold. All he could think about was how much he hurt and how tired he was. Barely able to keep his sockets open, he tried to curl up on his side with his back to the tree, cradling his injured arm. As blackness overtook his vision, all he could feel was the weight of the snow covering him, and the howling of the wind that finally silenced as he drifted into sleep.


	2. Somebody Hit the Panic Button

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans discovers his brother never came home. Panic ensues.

Sans jolted awake to the sound of clattering windows being shaken by the strong wind. Stretching, he glanced up at the clock. 6:15… 6:15!? Sans scrambled off the couch in a hurry, not meaning to take a nearly three hour nap. Usually Papyrus would have woken him up after getting home from school. Did his bro really let him sleep in? maybe he really did look as exhausted as he felt.

Shuffling to the fridge, Sans opened it to discover… he'd forgotten to buy groceries again. Maybe Papyrus would be okay with Grilby’s? Sans knew how weird Paps was about grease, but maybe he could grab a milkshake as well to alleviate his annoyance. Satisfied, Sans took a shortcut to to the top of the stairs and knocked on Papyrus’ door.

“Hey Papy, I'm gonna grab dinner from Grilby’s. I’ll get’cha a milkshake.”

Silence.

He knocked again. “Hey Paps, are you awake in there?”

More silence.

“I'm coming in Papyrus.” Sans announced as he opened the door. To his bewilderment his brother wasn't in it. After checking the closet, Sans searched the rest of the house. “Papyrus?” He shouted as he search high and low for his brother. Concern started to creep in when he realized his brother wasn't in the house. Frantically he yanked his shoes on and opened the front door, the wind forcing a barrage of snow into his face.

“Papyrus!” He shouted, his voice strained from the increased volume. Nothing except the wind and the darkening cavern greeted him. He rushed into the street, looking for any sign of his brother. Sans ran around the house, making sure his brother wasn’t playing outside. No luck.

After checking the basement and shed, the next logical place would be the school. Maybe he had been kept after for some reason? His mind made up, Sans ran down the street, hoping he might see Papyrus on the way there. Apparently he was the only one crazy enough to be outside in this weather. The streets were abandoned and the only open shop was Grilby’s.

The storm was pushing him back the whole way, but he finally managed to reach the elementary. The building was dark and locked, clearly empty. The playground was abandoned, the swings tangled together from the wind, and only a few street lamps provided some form of light in the darkness.

Breathing heavily, Sans glanced around trying to think. Okay, if Papyrus wasn't at school or the house, where else could he be? Sans wasn't aware of any specific friends Papyrus had, and is sure his brother would have contacted him if he was staying over at a classmates house. Grilby’s was out, and the Shop was unlikely since they closed before the storm started.

Sans quickly started walking. If he wasn't in town, then he had to be in the forest.

_Oh stars don't let him be in the forest._

As if to answer his question, he noticed the silhouette of a long piece of fabric fluttering from a low tree branch near the Snowdin sign. Sans rushed over to it, recognizing it immediately as his brother's scarf.

“Papyrus!” He yelled frantically, only to be met by more wind and snow blinding his sockets. Clutching the scarf tightly, he began rushing to the forest entrance before realizing how stupid his plan was. There was no way he could search the forest alone, not in this storm anyway. He’d probably get lost himself with how bad things were.

Turning back towards town, Sans prepared to take a shortcut. “Hang on Papyrus, I’m gonna get help.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay another chapter! I had intended to make it longer but this seemed like a good place to split it. More to come soon.


	3. The Race is On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans tries to remember how to breath, and the search for Papyrus continues.

Sans ported to the front of Grilby’s bar, slamming the door open as a gust of wind knocked him forward. Sans stumble in before awkwardly trying to close the door against the storm's onslaught. After some struggle, he managed to close the door with a grunt. Using it as support to catch his breath, he opened his sockets to see all three of the bars inhabitants giving him confused looks.

Grilby was in his usual spot behind the bar, wiping a glass down with a cloth. Dogomi and his fiancee Dogaressa were sitting by the counter having a conversation with the bartender. The dogs had gotten engaged shortly after becoming official members of the Royal Guard. Even now they were the cutest couple in Snowdin.

“Sans, is something wrong?” Grilby asked putting the glass away. Though he didn't really have a face to express with, Grilby’s flames whipped a bit at the question, most likely in concern. That wasn't much of a surprise. Sans wasn't dressed for the weather, and a layer of ice encrusted most of his exposed bones. The dark rings under his sockets made Sans look like something from a zombie film.

“Papyrus is missing.” Sans breathed, trying to steady his voice but failing. Sans rushed forward to the Dogi. “Please, I’ve looked everywhere and I found this at the edge of town.” He said, reaching out a trembling hand clutching Papyrus’ scarf. “I think he’s in the forest and I can't search the whole place alone.”

“Try to breath Sans.” Grilby stated calmly. Not realizing he had stopped, Sans inhaled deeply and exhaled, releasing a bit of tension from his shoulders.

“Skeleton pup is missing?” Dogomy said.

“(We will look for young skeleton pup!)” Dogaressa echoed back.

“I will call the other dogs…”

“(And I will search the town once more!)”

Dogamy took out his cell phone while Dogaressa rushed out the door. Sans stood there focusing on his breathing while Grilby approached him from the bar counter.

“You aren't going to fall apart on me are you?” The flame-monster asked as softly as he could.

“Come on Grilby, just cuz I'm a bit _rattled_ doesn't mean I’ve completely fallen to pieces.” Sans gave a weak laugh which started to turn into sobs, his composure finally lost.

“Try to calm down. Your brother is smart and I'm sure he's holding his own.” Grilby said reassuringly. “I will call up the folks in town and ask if they know anything.” Sans gave a small nod, using his coat sleeve to wipe his tears.

“The dogs are on their way!” Dogomy reported. Since the weather had turned so dangerous, all of the sentries and guardsmen had been called back into town for safety. This also meant there was no one in the woods who could start looking, leaving Papyrus completely on his own right now. The sooner they could start looking the better.

“Great, I'm gonna go on ahead and start the search.” Sans turned to take a shortcut but a firm hand on his shoulder made him stop.

“Sans, you know it's too dangerous right now. And your brother couldn’t afford us splitting our efforts between finding him and saving you.” Grilby stated. The use of his brother in his logic made Sans cringe, but he ultimately knew the bartender was right. Instead of arguing back, Sans held on to the table while he focused on breathing again. He had no idea how long he’d been standing there, but at one point the bell above the bar door rang as Doggo, Lesser Dog and Greater Dog filled inside. Shortly afterwards Dogressa returned, her fur whipped messily by the wind and a thin layer of snow sticking to it.

“(I could not find skeleton pup, but last smell I found at school entrance.)” that didn't really surprise Sans, just reaffirmed his original theory that Papyrus had gone into the woods. With as strong as the wind was, it was also unlikely the dogs would be able to find a scent trail. The image of finding his brothers cloths in the woods stuck in his mind, not able to find any dust because the wind blew it away. Sans bones started rattling harder at the thought.

“We will split into groups and find skeleton pup.” The other dogs seemed to agree with Dogomy. Grilby was already making phone calls to town residents, and Sans was doing his best to not think of the worst possible outcome.

\------------

Within the hour, the wind had died down enough for the search to begin. Greater Dog and Lesser Dog would search the northern section of the forest, Sans and Doggo would search the central section and The Ruins entrance, while the Dogi would search the southern part of the forest.

“Alright, if we find anything we will text each other."

"(We meet back at the bar when this is over.)"

The others nodded in agreement with the Dogi and went their separate ways.

Sans had found energy he didn’t know he had anymore, his instincts to protect his brother overriding his usually lazy demeanor. Doggo ran ahead searching for scent trails while Sans followed close behind. “Hold on a little longer Papyrus, I’m comin' for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, another chapter is out!
> 
> Thanks for the lovely comments on the last few chapters! They help keep me motivated to continue. Enj


	4. New Faces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus wakes up to find a strange monster in the woods with him.

Everything was dark, and everything was numb. It was better then the pain from earlier, it felt good. He stayed this way for a very long time, until his numbness was interrupted by jolts of a warm sensation. It was strange, but nice. Each new jolt of warmth brought him closer and closer to consciousness... 

Slowly Papyrus’ sockets partially opened. Everything was a mushy brown color, until a flash of green and a heated sensation brought things into focus. He saw what looked like rough brown fur on top of the snow. Blinking again, he looked upwards to see two sharp eyes and a sideways mouth between them. It had antlers with what appeared to be pine trees attached to its head, and between them it was forming another construct of green magic. A gift box appeared, and floated slowly to Papyrus’ skull, bringing with it a warm sensation and a slight rise in his HP.

“...Hello.” Papyrus’ voice was weak, but he was determined to give this Gyftrot a proper greeting.

The Gyftrot regarded his greeting by blinking their eyes, and proceeded to send another dose of healing magic to the young skeleton. 

“Nyehe.” Papyrus giggled at the warm sensation. “Thank you,” he said with a weak smile, attempting to sit up against the tree trunk. An initial wave of dizziness washed over him as he straightened, but had soon been replaced with a dull aching on the left side of his skull. His bones felt lighter as the snow clumps fell to his side, and he managed to get a better look at the Gyftrot. The monster was laying down next to the skeleton, as if trying to shield him from the wind. A layer of snow was covering their back. They also appeared to have Giftmas lights hanging haphazardly around their antlers, entangled with some bulb-shape ornaments.

“My name is Papyrus, what’s yours?” The Gyftrot only stared at him, looking him over with an expression Papyrus couldn’t read. “Oh, should I call you Mr. Gyftrot?” Papyrus was at a loss of what to say at the long silence, but took the slight bobbing of the Gyftrot’s head to mean yes. Papyrus continued looking over the Gyftrot, seeing the sad mess the lights left the monster in. 

“Are you okay mister? Do you need help with the lights?” The Gyftrot regarded what he said momentarily, before lowering his antlers closer to Papyrus. “Alright, I’ll just-AHHH!” Papyrus winced back at the sudden pain jutting up his right arm. He looked down in horror at the marrow that seeped through his coat sleeve. His arm appeared to be at an odd angle, and moving it sent waves of pain through his body. Just looking at it made him want to cry, but the Gyftrot was in trouble, and he had promised to help him. Tears pricking in his sockets, he swallowed a sob and began using his good arm to pull off the string of lights. It was tedious, especially since his limbs felt heavy and wouldn’t work right. With a lot of effort, however, the lights slowly began to untangle, the ornaments placed in a neat pile. Finishing the last of the lights on the antlers, the Gyftrot stood revealing the rest of the lights tangled around his front leg. Holding his hoof out, Papyrus managed to pull off the last of the lights with a good tug.

“Nyehe! The Great Papyrus has freed you from those lights! Are you feeling better?” The Gyftrot regarded him with more silence before finally speaking for the first time.

“Child, Where are your parents?” he said in a deep raspy voice, almost sounding rusty from lack of use. 

“Oh, I don’t have any parents... But my brother is probably looking for me, he must be worried…” Papyrus trailed off as he looked at the the dark cavern around him. The wind had stopped howling and was nothing more than a cold breeze now. The snow was falling lightly, and a few of the crystals on the ceiling had become visible. How long had he been out here?

“Where do you live?” the deep voice snapped Papyrus out of his thoughts as he remember the Gyftrot in front of him.

“We live in Snowdin, but I got lost on the way home…” Papyrus could feel the tears forming again.

“Can you stand?” He asked.

“I think so.” Papyrus tried rising, using the Gyftrot’s antler as support. A sudden wave of exhaustion sent him back to the ground.

The Gyftrot regarded him before laying back down beside the skeleton. “Climb on.” Papyrus stared at the monster with a puzzled look, before the command sunk in and he found himself awkwardly trying to climb onto the Gyftrots back. Left arm around the Gyftrot’s neck and the right one dangling uselessly, Papyrus tried to balance himself.

After Papyrus managed to get a decent hold, the Gyftrot slowly stood up. Papyrus’ hand gripped hard at the monsters fur, but he either choose not to comment or didn’t care. They were off at a steady pace, and silence fell over the two of them. Papyrus was feeling tired again, and rested his head on the Gyftrot’s neck. The steady rhythm to the monster’s footfall and the warmth emanating off his back was lulling Papyrus to sleep. Maybe if he closed his eyes for a few minutes…

“Stay awake child.” The deep voice made the boy jolt back to reality, and he tried to straighten his posture.

“I’m sorry Mr. Gyftrot...” Papyrus said meekly. 

A few moments of akward silence passed between them.

“...Would you like to be friends?” Papyrus asked barely above a whisper.

The Gyftrot stopped walking and turned his head to face the skeleton, staring at him with a blank expression. 

The hope in his eye lights quickly changed to worry. “I’m sorry, we don't have to be friends if you don't want to! I just thought…” he trailed off, a sad expression taking over. The Gyftrot regarded him for a few moments longer before walking again.

“That is fine.” It took a few moments for Papyrus to comprehend the Gyftrot’s response, but once it sunk in his face was beaming, current misery and exhaustion forgotten.

“Wowie! The Great Papyrus has made his first friend!” He mustered as much bravado as he could manage, which wasn’t much.

The Gyftrot gave what sounded like a slight chuckle in response before continuing. They traveled on like this, with Papyrus’ raspy chatter to keep them company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Protect the cinnamon roll Mr. Gyftrot! A tiny bit of happy moments in this one. I wonder how long that will last...
> 
> There is also an illustration I made to go along with this Chapter, because I'm a horrible person.  
> http://homestar1812.deviantart.com/art/Black-Blizzard-Chapter-4-690721462?ga_submit_new=10%3A1499337226


	5. Lost and Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans goes through a rollercoaster of emotions as progress is made in the search for Papyrus.

The search continued well into the night. By the time Sans and Doggo made it to The Ruins, the storm had mostly died down. Nothing more than a light snowfall and a gentle breeze remained of the monstrous storm. It was sure to leave its mark though, if the deep snow was considered enough to remember it by.

The blizzard brought with it over two feet of snow, on top of the additional foot that had already been on the ground.

This wasn't making it easy on Sans, with him sinking well past his knees in most places despite his light weight. Doggo wasn't having as much trouble apparently. When he bent down on all fours he basically disappeared under the snow blanket and tunneled, making him hard for Sans to follow. The dog monster would also make large leaps through the snow like a prancing gyftrot, leaving Sans in the dust.

They both looked up when a bugle-like noise sounded somewhere in the distance. It was a long eerie call.

“what was that?” Sans asked.

“It sounded like a gyftrot, possibly in distress?” Doggo answered, still staring in the direction of the noise. The call sounded again, but Sans wasn’t interested. He had already started trudging forward again. He didn’t have time to worry about another monster right now. His only concern was finding his brother, and everything else could wait.

“PAPYRUS!” Sans shouted, his voice strained and cracking from all of the yelling he's been doing. With no response Sans looked up and spotted a few sturdy branches in the tall trees. He took a shortcut to one of them, knocking piles of snow off with his landing. He looked in all directions, unable to spot anything noteworthy. He teleported from branch to branch, hoping to find anything but only seeing a sea of white among the pine trees.

“HEY! What was that!?” Sans jumped when he heard Doggo shouting. He had knocked some snow on Doggo’s head while teleporting, and the dog monsters vision problems made it hard for him to find the culprit

“sorry, my bad” Sans shouted from the tree branch before giving a weak wave. Agitated, Doggo gave a huff and walked off returning to his sniffing. Sans gave a sigh, but stiffened when he heard a howl echo in the distance. Sans teleported to ground when the howl sounded a second time.

“now what is it?” Sans asked a bit worried.

“Dogomy found something.” Doggo stated back matter of factly. The thought of what could have been found was making his soul pound. He barely noticed his phone vibrate in his pocket. Shakily, he opened it to see the best group text of his life.

Dogomy:  
Pup found alive.

Sans could already feel tears of relief falling from his sockets. But he couldn’t let his emotions get to him. Right now he needed to be strong for his little brother. He took a deep breath and put on the best casual grin he could manage. Wiping his tears with his sleeve, Sans started walking back. “i’ll meet you back in town doggo,” he said casually, voice still hoarse.

“What do you mean by that? Your slower than me.” Doggo asked with a raised brow.

“true, but I know a shortcut.” and with that Sans had vanished, leaving a startled and very confused Doggo behind.

\-------

Sans appeared in the alley next to Grilby’s, and rushed out to meet his brother and the Dogi. To his surprise though, a lot of residents were out in the streets instead, despite the late hour. Some of them carried lanterns and flashlights as they split off into smaller groups. There were also a few Waterfall guardsmen standing around the bar entrance.

Sans looked around a bit bewildered before a kindly voice spoke up from behind him.

“Oh Sans, I am so sorry this has happened dear. Has there been any news about your brother yet?” It was the shopkeeper, a look of genuine concern on her face.

“uh yeah, I just received word that the Dogi were on their way back with him.” Sans replied. The rabbit monster exhaled a sigh of relief, the tension in her shoulders loosening a bit. “by the way, what's with the party?”

“Oh, Grilby had been calling the townsfolk asking if anyone knew about Papyrus’ wearabouts. It worried so many of the residents that we started to form a search party separate from the guard.” She glanced over at the residents gathering. “Even Guard Captain Gearson came all the way out from Waterfall with backup.”

Sans was a bit surprised by that last statement, though he really shouldn't have been. The soon to retire Captain of the Guard was known for having a soft spot with kids, and since there's a severe lack of crime or other emergencies in the Underground right now it would make sense for him to come here. He was also the closest thing to a doctor they had. Having none in Snowdin and all the others located around Hotland and New Home, he was the only one close enough to the town if a medical emergency ever arose. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that.

Sans turned when the alley door to Grilby’s bar opened. An exhausted looking Grilby stepped outside and sat on the doorstep, pulling a cigarette pack from his pocket.

“hey grilbz, what's got you so heated?” Sans asked with a smirk. The bartender looked up at him and sighed.

“Gearson has completely taken over my bar as Guardsmen headquarters until this rescue is complete!” The fire monster said, his flames flickering in agitation. “They could have picked your house or the inn, but apparently Gearson’s arthritis makes stairs too difficult so they picked the only single story building in town with a proper bed.”

Sans couldn't help but laugh at how flustered and talkative the normally stoic bartender was being. It was well known that the flame monsters living quarters were behind the fire door in his bar. The monster was so dedicated to his business that he literally never left, and now his home had been taken over by the Guard.

“don't worry grilbz, your always welcome to stay with me if you need to. there's always room on my sofa, just be sure not to smoke the place up.” Sans grinned at Grilby’s annoyance.

The fire monster pinched his face where the bridge of his nose would have been. “At least your brothers been found. The sooner this whole mess is settled the sooner I can get my bar back.”

Sans chuckled, though there was a small part of him that felt bad for Grilby. He offered his assistance when Sans came in half frozen and near his breaking point; spent who knows how many hours calling town residents and talking to them, something the bartender rarely did to begin with; and now he was being displaced from his home because of this whole mess. Sans knew he would need to make this up to Grilby somehow, hopefully in the near future.

“Dogaressa is coming!” A male rabbit monster shouted from the street.

Sans looked up with large eye lights at the sight of Dogaressa rushing across the bridge, carrying a bundle wrapped in her cloak. The biggest wave of relief the skeleton had ever felt washed over him, and a genuine smile crossed his face.

“papyrus!” Sans rushed forward to meet them, but Dogaressa ignored him and kept running. He slipped on ice trying to change direction and landed hard on his tailbone. “oww.” He moaned, struggling to his feet again before following the dog monster. His face went from a pained expression to a confused one, not understanding why she had run past instead of giving him his brother. Captain Gearson stepped outside of the bar’s front entrance, and Dogaressa had stopped in front of him panting heavily. The tortoise monsters expression became grave upon looking at the small skeleton. What was going on?

It wasn't until Sans caught up to them and saw Dogaressa hand the captain his brother that he understood. His soul sunk and his eye lights went out in shock. His unconscious brother’s face was the only thing visible in the fabric wrap. His skull was an ashen color, with dark circles under his sockets. Marrow was frozen to the left side of his skull where a large crack ran from the back of the parietal bone all the way through his eye socket.

Sans froze in place as Gearson took Papyrus into the bar, Dogaressa close behind. He couldn't breath, he couldn’t think. All he could do was clutch his chest as his breathing got shallower and more rapid. His bones started rattling and a sudden feeling of lightheadedness took over. All the noise and voices around him vanished, drowned out by his own internal screaming. He was vaguely aware of hitting the ground with his knees, and seeing a set of dark shoes rush towards him as he passed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's nice to be able to write something without it feeling like a chore, haven't had that experience with writing before so it's a nice feeling!
> 
> Ended up cutting the middle section out of the chapter so it reads better, but I'll move that portion to the next chapter instead.
> 
> Enjoy ;D


	6. That's Fine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So a gyftrot and two dogs meet up in a forest... I feel like there's a punchline somewhere?

Papyrus had grown silent once again, having used what was left of his energy in his excited chatter upon become friends with the four legged monster. The only things interrupting the silence were the Gyftrot’s occasional questions to try and keep the skeleton awake, efforts that were becoming less and less successful. 

It wasn't until a distant shuffling in the snow could be heard that they stopped. The Gyftrot became still and listened. He stood focused, trying to determine if the footfall belonged to the teenagers. He hated approaching town, since the closer he was the greater the risk of teens ambushing him with Giftmas lights. 

That is actually what happened to him earlier that day, some teenage snowdrakes decided to get creative and leapt on him from a tree branch while he was foraging. Startled, he bucked them off and ran for it only to get his hooves tangled in the lights they had tied around his antlers. 

He was on his way to find a sentry to help him when he heard the child screaming, so perhaps it didn’t work out so badly. He certainly didn't care for the teenagers from town, but he didn't want them to get dusted either. Plus, this one seemed smaller than the others and had helped him, so he would return the favour.

The boy doesn’t know how close he was and currently is to falling down, and making him panic with that news wouldn’t be wise. Since he wasn’t very good at healing magic, the best course of action would be to keep the child awake until they reached the town, but depending on who's coming towards them could change that plan.

The footfall got closer and easier to hear. The thumping of their feet sounded heavy, perhaps two monsters moving at great speed. He didn’t recall any teenagers from town sounding that heavy, most likely adults then. With that determined the Gyftrot changed direction to head toward the running monsters.

“I hear footfall in the snow not far from here, perhaps sentries from town.” Papyrus didn’t respond at all, and his hand had gone lax. That is troubling. If the child fell off he wouldn’t be able to get him on his back again. Deciding getting the monsters’ attention was the best course of action, the Gyftrot took a deep breath and let out a loud bugle-like noise. It was an eerie drawn-out sound, but it was also loud and could be heard for miles. He sent the call out several times, giving it a distressed overtone. As horrible as the noise was, Papyrus didn't even flinch at it, another bad sign. The Gyftrot stopped and listened, hearing the monsters change direction and head straight for him. Good.

He waited there several minutes until two hooded figure with large axes on their backs came bounding forward and sliding to a halt. 

“Is something wrong?” Dogomy asked.

“(We heard a distressing noise).” Dogaressa chimed in.

The Gyftrot turned his body to reveal the unconscious skeleton sprawled out on his back. The dogs sniffed, their eyes widening when they realized who it was.

“The skeleton pup!” 

“(He is alive!)” Dogaressa bound forward only to stop upon realizing Papyrus’ condition. If he had been anything but a skeleton the boy would have dusted by now.

“(The skeleton pup is hurt!)” Dogaressa gasped. She pulled off her cloak and wrapped Papyrus in it, taking him gently into her arms. She turned around to face Dogomy. “(I will take him back to town.)”

“And I shall inform the dogs and Grilby!” Dogomy stated while pulling out his phone. They gave each other a nod before Dogaressa went running back for town, and Dogomy let out a long howl.

The child would be taken care of. Good. Hopefully they would be able to help him. The Giftrot started to leave.

“Hold on!” The Gyftrot turned to face Dogomy, whom was pulling a notepad and pen from his pocket. “I need to ask you a few questions.”

The Giftrot faced the dog monster. “That's fine.”

Dogomy asked about where and when he found the child, how he had gotten hurt, where they were going. The Gyftrot answered the question he had answers to, the others he shook his head at. 

Seemingly satisfied Dogomy looked up from his notepad. “That should be enough information for now. However, could I have your name in case additional questions arise?”

The dear monster stared at him for a long moment. He could not understand the obsession other monsters seemed to have with names. Gyftrots rarely referred to each other by name, and did not share such an individualistic nature that other monsters seemed so obsessed with. For the sake of the child, however, he would answer.

“Delsin.” 

Dogomy made a quick note before putting away his notebook. He looked at Delsin and smiled. “Thank you Delsin!” Delsin nodded as the dog monster bolted towards town. For the child's sake, he hoped both dogs would make it in time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I can't believe my first fic has gotten almost 350 hits and 30 kudos. I am really happy people are enjoying it!
> 
> Here is the section that was cut from the last chapter. Mr. Gyftrot has a name now and his own POV chapter!
> 
> Btw have you ever heard an elk call? It's kind of creepy...
> 
> Enjoy :D


	7. Diagnosis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans finally sees his brother, and gets told all sorts of bad news.

Sans awoke with a groan. Opening his sockets, he realized he was… On a leather couch in the bar? Sitting up slowly, he saw the opposite side of the fire door across from the couch, a separate wooden door next to it leading to the kitchen, and a small hallway opposite the kitchen door. He was in Grilby’s living room. 

'How long was I out?'

He looked up at the grandfather clock across the room. 4:00 am… 4:00 AM?! He'd been out for nearly three hours?! 

A lock clicked behind him. Sans turned to see Grilby entering through the back door carrying a duffle bag. The fire monster looked up and saw Sans staring at him. He grabbed a wooden chair and took a seat by the skeleton. 

“How are you feeling?” the fire monster asked calmly.

“Tired.” Sans said bluntly. “What happened?”

“You had a panic attack and passed out in the street after Dogaressa got back. I brought you to the back room in case you wanted to see your brother when you woke up.” Sans stared at him blankly before realization hit him. He remembered everything. Dogaressa running past him, Gerson in the doorway, Papyrus in his arms, looking grey like a fallen monster….

'No, no no no no nononononoNO! He… he's fallen? no, that can’t be right, he must have been mistaken. Papyrus can’t fall down, he’s PAPYRUS, the happiest most energetic kid he knows. The only reason he still gets up every day, still goes to work and still goes outside…'

Flashbacks of the lab accident began to replay in his mind. The metallic walls and platforms above the molten Core. Gaster dissolving as he fell into his creation. His father being there one moment and gone the next. How he failed to save his father, and now the same has happened to his brother too.

'I failed.'

'I failed my entire family.'

'I failed my baby bro.'

'I am the worst brother in the world.'

'He never deserved a selfish pile of trash like me. I should be the one falling down, not him. He never did anything to deserve this, he...'

“Sans…”

Slowly the older skeleton became aware of the noises around him, like a voice was trying to speak to him. He blinked, bringing the living room back into focus and a worried flame monster on the chair across from him. The noise slowly turned into crackling words.

“...ans?”

“Can…..me?”

“Deep breathing Sans.”

Sans hadn’t realized that he was shaking again and hugging himself. He focused on his breathing as requested.

In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. Over and over and over again. 

Once he started to calm down, he finally managed to ask the question he'd been dreading.

“has...has Papyrus... f-fallen?” Sans asked barely above a whisper. Grilby stared at him for a moment while trying to find the right words.

“He hasn’t fallen but… he's not in the best shape right now. Gerson is treating him in the guest room.”

So Papyrus was still alive? “i need to see him grilbz! i-” He started to get up but the flame monster pushed the skeleton down from the top of his skull. Annoyed, Sans looked up to see Grilbys normally orange flaming arm covered in reddish dark spots as if he'd been splashed with water.

“Before you see him...” Grilby added while plopping the duffle bag on Sans’ lap before the skeleton could ask any questions.“I stopped by your house and grabbed some spare clothes for Papyrus. I took the liberty of packing some clothes for you as well. I hope you don't mind but you're still sopping wet and I refuse to carry you with wet clothing again.” Sans looked at himself and at Grilby’s arms, feeling guilty upon the realisation. His clothes were still wet from the melted ice and snow that he collected from the storm. He'd forgotten to change from his lab clothing before going out to look for Papyrus, and would probably need to buy a new pair of slacks after this. 

Sans took the duffel bag and gave the fire monster a week grin before walking down the hall to the bathroom. He wasn't too surprised to see the bathroom was turned into a storage closet, since a flame monster wouldn't really need a room dedicated to water. After stacking some boxes to clear enough space to move, Sans put the bag on the sink and unzipped it. He pulled out a white t-shirt, a pair of jeans he'd forgotten he owned, and his blue parka with the fur-lined hood. Grilby even packed him his pink slippers. 

He changed quickly and shoved his wet clothing into a side pocket on the duffel bag before searching for what else Grilby had grabbed. There was a clean short sleeve shirt for Papyrus, a small pair of sweatpants, dry socks, and several of the children's books from Papyrus’ room. He even packed the blanket from Pap’s bed with the talking racecars on it. Sans would have to thank Grilby for this later, the bartender was a far better friend than he deserved. 

Stepping out of the bathroom/closet, Sans headed towards the slightly ajar door at the end of the hall. He took a breath before slowly pushing it open. Gerson was sitting on a wooden chair packing his medical supplies into his bag. Papyrus was laying motionless in the bed, covered in thick blankets. Gerson looked up and smiled at the skeleton in the doorway.

“Oh, good to see your awake! I was just finishing up with your brother and was hoping to discuss a few things with ya.” Sans just nodded at the tortoise monster, and allowed himself to be led out of the room and back to the leather couch. Gerson had San’s sit on one end while he chose the other.

“How bad is it?” Sans managed to ask, voice hoarse and sounding like a froggit.

“His HP has stabilized for now, but the shock to his soul from tonight's events have left him mostly unreceptive to healin' magic. He suffered some trauma to his skull and socket, but those can be healed once his magic replenishes. His arm…” the Guard Captain paused.

Sans couldn't look the monster in the face anymore, choosing to stare at his bag instead. Gerson’s dark medical bag was speckled with grey powder. Sans hoped that wasn't dust but he knew better. 

“His right humerus also had a bad comminuted fracture through it. His magic had been holdin' it together but was completely depleted by the time I saw him. I'm sorry, but I was unable to save the arm.” He took a moment to let the news sink in before startling at the skeletons reaction. “Hey-” 

Sans couldn't hear the tortoise monster anymore. He didn't WANT to hear him anymore. A comminuted fracture is like fragmenting a bone, shattering it into small pieces. For it to be that bad Papyrus’ bones must have been cold and brittle. He had been out there for so long… His baby bro had been stuck out there for hours with his arm hanging in pieces like that...

'This is all my fault.'

'If I wouldn't have taken a nap I would have notice Papyrus was missing before the blizzard hit. I could have found him before he was hurt, before he'd even gone in the woods!'

'I'm so stupid, STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID -'

Slowly a firm shaking on his shoulder started to bring him back to reality. Gerson was mouthing something to him. 

“Hey…...me?”

“Kid…..”

“Kid…. can… hear me? Good, please stay strong for me Sans. Your brother needs ya to be here for him, that can't happen if your constantly having panic attacks.” The old monster grinned as Sans eye lights became more focused.

“I think that's enough talkin' for now, why don't you go see your brother and we can discuss more in the mornin'.” Sans just nodded before slowly trudging back to the guest room. He didn't feel calmer, just drained. Three panic attacks in one day was a new record, one he never wanted to repeat again. 

Sans placed his trembling phalanges on the doorknob and pushed it open. He made his way over to the wooden chair and plopped down by the bedside. Papyrus’ head stuck out from the blanket pile, gauze covering the crack on his head and left socket. Everything below his chin was covered in blankets, which was fine for now. He still wanted to spend a little more time in denial about what Gerson said. His brother looked peaceful, like he was simply sleeping.

“Hey little bro.” Sans whispered, petting Papyrus head with his phalanges. 

“I'm glad you're still with me.” His eye sockets began stinging with tears.

“I'm sorry I wasn't there for you bro, I'm-” he choked on a sob.

“I'm s-sorry Papy, I'm s-so so sorry...” He blubbered, unable to hold it in anymore. He thought that with everything that happened to him today, somewhere between searching for his brother and three separate panic attacks, he'd run out of tears to shed. Apparently, he was wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry skelebros! I'm mean, not really since I did it to you anyway... 
> 
> I was debating if I really wanted to go this route but finally decide yes, more angst and more chapters. 
> 
> Enjoy the suffering!


	8. Just Call Me Dad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gerson and Grilby have a private chat with each other. The bartender then makes a decision he may regret later.

Grilby exited the kitchen after hearing the door in the hallway click shut. Gerson sat quietly on the couch, a sad yet thoughtful expression on his face. At some point the tortoise monster noticed Grilby and smiled.

“Well that could have gone bettered.” Grilby crackled.

“Wa Ha Ha! What do ya mean? That went about as well as I expected.” The bartender raised a theoretical brow at Gerson, his flames flickering faster. How could he be laughing about this? The tortoise noticed the fire monster’s reaction and grinned up at him. 

“Oh come now Grilby, he's a teenager trying to raise a child by himself, and you didn't expect him to be a nervous wreck after that child nearly died?” The two of them were silent for a moment. Grilby knew the tortoise monster was right. Sans would talk about his cool baby brother a lot when he stopped by. Pretty much everything the skeleton did seemed to be for the benefit of his little brother, and now he’s probably blaming himself for all of this.

“Welp, the bar is yours again Grilby, but I'll leave the skeletons under your care for now. I'll be at the Inn if ya need me.” The old monster stood up and headed towards the back door before Grilby realized what was said and flared up in response.

“What do you mean the Inn?! I thought you couldn't do stairs?” The Guard Captain grinned at his flustered friend.

“And leave the half-dead kid in the hands of a panicked 18 year old who's too worried to even take care of himself?” The old monster’s grin widened. “Besides, back during the war I remember your troops referin’ to ya as the “Biggest Mom in the Army,” right behind the queen. You're the perfect monster to handle this!” Gerson couldn't help laughing as Grilby crossed his arms in embarassment, his face turning a little pink. “Wa Ha Ha! I’ll stop by in the mornin’!” Gerson waved and shut the door behind him.

Grilby leaned on the wall, hands rubbing his temples. The old bastard had planned this all along, and what does he know about his leadership skills! Back as a war general, sure he would always stop to talk to his troops, but that was to make sure moral was alright and they had someone to vent their worries and problems too! And maybe he would stop by the cooking tent more often then he should to help prepare good nutritious meals, that was because he liked cooking! So what if he was constantly worried that everyone was eating properly, sleeping alright.... Stars maybe he was like a mom?

Still working through his existential crisis, the sounds of muffled sobbing from down the hallway pulled the bartender from his thoughts. His flames dimmed as the weight of the situation set in. That’s right, there’s still two kids here with no parental guidance, no one to help them get through this. Sans probably has no clue how to handle a child this sick, much less an amputee. The poor guy was already overwhelmed before this mess. Grilby was also pretty sure he was the only real friend Sans had in Snowdin, it's unlikely anyone else would step in to help him…

After a moment of silence, Grilby sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. 

‘Well, if I’m taking care of these kids, I should probably close the bar tomorrow. I should also clean out the bathroom, see what type of medicine I have. Maybe dig out one of Fuku’s old coats to replace Papyrus’…’

The flame monster stood up straighter and went to grab his cleaning supplies and waterproof gloves. He needed to make the living area at least slightly more appropriate for non-fire monsters. As he opened up the door to the bathroom, several clumsily placed boxes fell into the hallway spilling their content. Grilby only stared at the new mess with a blank expression, before facepalming at the sheer insanity of it all.

’Oh stars, what have I gotten myself into?’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea where the Mama Grilby idea came from, maybe some sansby fics or something? He would probably prefer Papa Grilby though...
> 
> Regardless here is a short chapter featuring the best fire monster in Snowdin!
> 
> Thanks again for all of the awesome comments!! :D  
> Reading them always gives me the energy to improve this monstrosity.


	9. Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bad dreams and bad times all around.

It was bright outside, the snow laid in a clean thick blanket across the forest floor. The small skeleton ran through the woods giggling, red scarf trailing behind him in the breeze. He hid behind a snow poff and tried to suppress a giggle as a panting Sans made his way over.

“Now where did my little bro go?” Sans said playfully.

Papyrus closed his eyes and covered his mouth to stop from laughing. After a moments pause Sans’ footfall started up again, moving away from the snow poff. The small skeleton got a great idea, he was going to sneak up and surprise his brother! Slowly he lifted his head above the top of the snow poff trying to see where his brother was walking. To his surprise, however, his brother had completely disappeared. Apparently Sans could move far faster than Papyrus had ever thought possible.

Slowly stepping out from behind the snow poff he made his way to the small clearing his brother was just in. Glancing around the surrounding forest he was unable to find any trace of him, not even footprints.

“Sans!” He called out several times, but received no answer. Things in the forest had become deathly quiet. The wind had stopped blowing, creating an eerie stillness to the area. Suddenly a black blur flashed across the edge of his vision. Papyrus frantically turned to try and find the cause, but could see nothing except trees and snow.

“Brother, is that you?” He called again but received no answer. Another black blur moved at his other side and he spun again. Growing fearful, the young skeleton began rattling and breathing faster.

“H-hello? Who's t-there?” Papyrus stuttered. He received the answer in the form of a black figure quickly taking shape a short distance in front of him. It was goopy and sludge like, taking the form of a tall man. Papyrus jumped, too scared to speak. The shadow stared at the wide-eyed skeleton for a moment, an unbearable silence set in as the two eyed each other. Suddenly, the figure lunged forward. Screaming, Papyrus turned and bolted through the trees, soul pounding out of his chest. 

Tears poured down his cheek bones, pure terror the only thing fueling him. Papyrus desperately looked around the forest praying he would see his brother, that Sans would come out and protect him. 

“Sans! Please help me!” He cried, breathing heavily. Papyrus looked around frantically but could not see his brother, just endless rows of trees.

His foot caught on something and he stumbled, landing face first in the snow. Papyrus turned just in time to see the black figure lunge at him. He shrieked and tried to summon a bone wall to protect himself, but his magic wouldn't take form. Horrified, Papyrus stared wide-eyed as he was engulfed in the goopy monster. Darkness engulfed him, and Papyrus began falling into nothingness, screaming and crying his brother's name. Voices of his classmates started speaking over each other.

“Weirdo.”

“Freak.”

“Idiot.”

“Loser.”

“WEIRDO!”

“LOSER!”

“FREAK!”

“IDIOT!”

Papyrus screamed but the voices grew louder. They increased in volume until he thought his head would explode. He noticed things around him were becoming hotter the farther he fell. Everything was hurting and his body was on fire. It was almost enough to drown out the voices. When he hit the bottom, he felt like he would either explode or melt, either would be preferable at this point. Papyrus tried to cover his ear holes as he curled up into the smallest ball possible, crying out for help that wouldn't come.

“S-sans…” he sobbed, “...please h-help me…”

\------------

Sans placed a cool cloth on Papyrus’ forehead. His little brother was running a high fever and rattling violently. His breathing was strained, and he was whimpering in his sleep. Magical exhaustion along with the loss of his arm caused the skeleton’s magic to go into severe flux. Though not uncommon for young monsters as they grow and their magic settles, this was not the same. Magical flux due to trauma or injury was far more severe than flux caused by growth spurts, and without proper treatment the affected monster could dust easily. Sans had never seen symptoms this bad and had no idea how to treat it.

Thank the stars Grillby and Gerson knew what to do. Sans had initially been reluctant about staying at Grillby’s home. He and his little brother had been alone for years now. Sans had to grow up fast in order to raise his brother. Being so self reliant, the older skeleton didn’t like the idea of being dependent on someone else like this. It made him feel weak, like a failure. He had felt the same way about asking for help while searching for his brother during the storm, but knew his brother’s life was more important than the little pride he still had in himself. Similarly, when Papyrus’ symptoms started to get really bad Sans became far more accepting of the help he was offered. Sans himself may not know what to do, but both of the older monsters had dealt with similar situations during the war where plenty of monster were injured, maimed or killed.

Gerson said the first day that Papyrus was too sick to move to a hospital in Hotland, and Sans had never taken anyone with him through a shortcut. He decided not to risk hurting his brother further if he couldn't manage the extra passenger. The tortoise monster had put a request in for more advanced medical supplies, and his lieutenant managed to deliver the package in record time. Sans wasn't too keen on the fish monster’s loud mouth and rough attitude, but was happy she was a fast runner. It had been three days since the supplies were brought in, but Papyrus wasn't improving much. The IV drip and magical supplements Gerson had ordered had stabilized his brother's HP and restored some magic to his system, but there wasn't much else they could do now. All Sans managed to do was sit by his brother’s side and feel useless.

“Please bro, I don't know how to help you…” He gripped Papyrus’ shaking phalanges in his own, rubbing the boy's knuckles and cringing as his brother’s whimpering increased. It was as if he was in pain, or perhaps having a bad dream? The thought reminded Sans of a time shortly after their father was erased. His brother was really small then and would come to his room almost every night after having terrible nightmares. Sans would hug his brother and comfort him, read to him and let him sleep in his room. Back then he and his brother would project magic to the other, sharing their emotions and comforting each other when things got really bad. They hadn't done that in a while. At some point Papyrus had stopped visiting Sans at night when he had nightmares…

The thought gave Sans an idea. Maybe he couldn't help treat his brother’s illness, but he could try projecting to him. Maybe it would provide some peace of mind to his baby bro?

Closing his eyes, Sans focused his magic into his hands. Left eye lit and magic ready, Sans began projecting to his brother. Love, Safety, Comfort, Protection. He focused these thoughts behind his magic and pushed it forward, allowing it to wash over his brothers soul. He kept his thoughts concentrated on those words.

'Love, Safety, Comfort, Protection.'

'Love, Safety, Comfort, Protection.'

'Love, Safety, Comfort, Protection.'

As his magic crossed with his brother's, he immediately gasped at the impact of pain and fear the smaller soul was emanating. He could almost see the dark form of a small skeleton, curled up and crying for help in a sea of black. He sent his magic in deeper, the fear and anguish becoming more intense. He was slowly moving towards the rattling figure on the ground, blue magic glowing in his outreached hand. As bad as the negative emotions were he was determined to power through them. He reached farther and farther, trying to call out to his brother, though no sound left his throat. The terror and pain were almost unbearable, but Sans was so close. A little further… just another inch...

\------------

It was loud, dark and burning. Why did it hurt so badly?! He would never escape The noise, the fear, the loneliness. Why couldn't it stop!? Why wouldn't it end?! Why?!!...

The young skeleton felt a boney hand grab his own, and the noises became more muffled. He opened his sockets to be greeted by a light blue glow instead of darkness. Words, calm clear words were being whisper around him.

'Love, Safety, Comfort, Protection.'

'Love, Safety, Comfort, Protection.'

'Love, Safety, Comfort, Protection.'

Papyrus felt himself being gripped by someone protectively, allowing the new calmer voices to replace the angry ones. He hugged back. He couldn't see who was gripping him but they felt safe and familiar, radiating a magic he knew well.

'Sans.'

\------------

Things could be better. Sans had accepted both his and Gerson help, which was the good news. Unfortunately, the skeleton had been completely ignoring his own well being. It was clear the morning after the storm that Sans had worried himself sick. He had been rattling almost constantly the last few days and was obviously running a fever of his own. Frustratingly, however, he wouldn’t accept treatment and refused to leave his brother's side.

Grilby himself wasn't entirely sure if Papyrus would survive or not, but Sans’ obsessive worrying over his brother was also troublesome. If Papyrus didn't make it he was sure Sans wouldn't be far behind. The flame monster sighed. It wasn't fair for things like this to happen to such young monsters, but there was nothing else he could do. He could only pray for the best but prepare for the worst.

Turning the stove down to a simmer, Grilby dished the hot broth into a bowl and set it on the tray along with the ketchup. If Sans wouldn't allow anyone to treat his illness then maybe Grilby could at least convince him to eat something that may or may not be laced with medicine for the fever. Picking up the tray he made his way down the hall. Things in the guest room had gone quiet since he last checked on them. He could no longer hear Papyrus’ muffled sobs or Sans’ worried voice from behind the door. Concerned, Grilby slowly turned the doorknob and peaked inside.

Sans was passed out, sitting on the wooden chair while his upper body rested on the bed, one arm pillowing his skull. His other was clutched around Papyrus’ phalanges and emitting a faint blue glow. Papyrus was quite, his pained expression was gone and his breathing was less laboured. He almost looked peaceful.

Grilby made his way over and put the tray on the bedside table. Grabbing a spare blanket from the closet, he carefully draped it over Sans’ shoulders. The skeleton appeared to snuggle into it. If the flame monster had a mouth he would be grinning at the sight before him. He relaxed a bit at seeing the peacefully resting brothers. It had been days since anyone in the house had slept, and he was happy to see Sans was getting some proper rest. Grilby quietly exited the room, and slowly closed the door behind him with a soft click.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this chapter was a nightmare to write. I had at least 2000 words worth of stuff written before deciding it was all terrible and starting over. It was supposed to focus more on Sans, but apparently all it need was a lot more child suffering for it to be passable.
> 
> There is also an illustration to go along with this chapter. Link to it below:
> 
> http://homestar1812.deviantart.com/art/Black-Blizzard-Chapter-9-692873077?ga_submit_new=10%3A1500228986
> 
> Enjoy :)


	10. Checking In and Out Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gerson makes his return, while Papyrus has had better days.

Everything was foggy, like he was floating in a heavy cloud. It was comforting and quiet, and he was so tired, so groggy. He didn't want to leave. Thinking was too much effort. He just floated there, waiting for the darkness to embrace his mind again… 

“...ddo…”

Distantly he began to hear muffled noises.

“...just….ec…”

What was that? He tried listening closer, and the fog slowly started to clear. As things became more focused, he realized how cold he felt. It wasn't a normal cold, like when he played in the snow for too long. This cold was deeper than that, as if his soul was freezing in his chest. The cold had never bothered him like this before. Why was he so cold? As he became more aware of his body, other sensations started returning. His bones were heavy, and he felt sick and weak. The feelings only intensified as he became aware of pain. He was sore all over, but felt the worst throbbing from his head. About the only thing that didn't hurt was his arm. Speaking of his arm, it not only didn’t hurt, but felt… weird, like something was missing…

A clawed hand started prying his socket open. A blurry looking reptile came into view, leaning in with a small light and gazing into his socket with a single intense eye.

“Hmmm… eyelights are there but hazy. Are ya awake?” The monster released Papyrus’ socket and leaned back. He felt himself being ‘checked’ by the older monster. “I'm seein’ more normal magic levels. You're still fluxin’ though.”

…”fluxin’”…? What does that mean…?

The small skeleton managed to force his sockets open, though it looked like part of his vision was dark, or covered by something? His right socket could see though, and the blurry tortoise monster leaned in closer and smiled.

“Glad to see your amongst the livin’. How ya feeling young one?” Papyrus wanted to say that he felt cold and tired and weak and awful. That nothing made sense, and everything he could see looked blurry. He tried to say it but his voice wouldn't cooperate. All that came out at first was a high pitched whine.

“That bad, eh?” The reptile chuckled as Papyrus’ expression seemed to answer the question. 

“I'm Captain Gerson of the Royal Guard, but ya can just call me Gerson. Can ya tell me your name?”

Papyrus thought for a moment before trying to speak again. “...pa...pyrus…” he croak. He sounded like a froggit with laryngitis. Even the simple act of talking made him feel tired.

“Good! Can you tell me how old ya are?”

“...eight…” He decided that using single words was less exhausting than using full sentences.

“That sounds about right. Now, do ya remember how ya got hurt?”

Papyrus paused. What happened to him again? There was snow and lots of loud noises, and at one point he was in a lot of pain, but what caused it? There was a tree… and a hill…

“...i don't...know…?” he whispered. He couldn't remember exactly what happened. Questions started racing through his head.

‘What's going on? Where am I? Why am I here? How did I get here? Why can't I remember anything? Why-’

“Calm down kiddo.” Gerson shushed him when the skeleton’s expression became frantic. “It's alright if ya don't remember now, we can talk about it later when ya feel better.” Papyrus noticed Gerson was scribbling something on a notepad. The tortoise monster took his pen and held it up to Papyrus’ face.

“Could ya please follow the pen while only moving your eyelight?” He slowly moved the pen side to side, and Papyrus did his best to follow the fuzzy object. “Very good. Now how many fingers am I holdin’ up?” Gerson held up a clawed hand. Papyrus squinted trying to make out the blurry looking claws.

“...three?” It looked like three anyway. It was hard to tell though.

Gerson nodded and took a few more notes before looking up and grinning. “Your lucky kiddo. It doesn't look like that crack in your skull did any permanent damage. It's gonna leave quite the mark though.” Crack to his skull? Is that why his head was hurting so much?

Gerson began fiddling with a syringe and a bottle of fluids while he started rambling. “It was touch and go for a while, but it seems like you'll pull through. Not in one piece, mind ya, but at least you're not dust.” He chuckled softly.

...Not in one piece…? What does that mean? He was all here, wasn't he…? Papyrus tried checking his limbs. He could feel the bed under both legs, and he could feel his toe bones wiggling against the sheets, so that checked out. He moved on the his left arm. He was able to grip the sheets with his hand and move all five phalanges. That just left… He tried moving the phalanges on his right hand but nothing happened. He couldn't feel the bedsheets or feel his arm at all. His sockets went wide and he began breathing heavily. Was his arm gone?! Is that what Gerson meant?! That can't be right?! It has to be there! That-

Suddenly the ache in his body began disappearing. His panic was being replaced by grogginess. Papyrus turned his head to see Gerson filling an IV bag with the syringes content.

“Sorry about that kiddo, I’ll try ta give ya more warnin’ next time. This'll help ya feel better though.” Gerson said as he put the syringe away.

Papyrus was already drifting off again, but he needed to ask one last question. “...Is it...gone?” 

Gerson looked at him puzzled before his gaze became sympathetic. “Yeah kiddo, it's gone.” 

Papyrus’ soul dropped further as his mind flooded with panicked questions. 

‘Is this real? This can't be real. This has to be a bad dream. Skeletons can't grow their limbs back, can they? What will happen to me now? I’m broken beyond fixing. What will my brother think? Sans will be so angry with me. He’ll hate me for this. I just make his life so much harder…’

Tears began prickling in his sockets, though Gerson remained calm and gave the boy a soft smile, patting his small shoulder. “You're a tough kid. Most monsters wouldn't of survived that blizzard. Heck! I doubt some of my guardsmen would have made it unscathed.” He gave a hearty laugh before continuing. “Things may seem bad now, and it will take awhile to adjust, but if ya can survive a storm like that then you'll get through this in no time.” Gerson’s words were surprisingly comforting. Something about his calm demeanor and the confidences behind his words was infectious. Papyrus felt himself relaxing a bit as Gerson spoke. “Try ta stay positive. Me, your brother, and even Grilby will be here ta help ya. Now, is there anything ya need right now?”

Papyrus was upset and cold and groggy and exhausted. He just wanted to hide away and sleep forever. “...cold…” he said under his breath. 

“That all? Wa ha ha! You're sure easy to please.” Gerson grabbed a spare blanket and pulled it over Papyrus’ chest. “Now try an’ get some rest.”

His body was already feeling warmer as he began drifting off again. “...thank you..” Papyrus whispered, though he's not sure if managed to form the words or not. He was already back in that comforting fog again…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay another chapter from hell! These next few are probably gonna take a little longer then the others. I know what I want to happen but the in betweens of getting there are causing me some grief. 
> 
> Enjoy!


	11. No Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans finds himself back at The Lab, it isn't a good experience.

The lab was empty and quiet, nothing but the faint whirring of several backup generators to keep the skeleton company. “hello?” Sans called, but received no answer. His eye lights flickered nervously, hands tensing as his breathing quickened. This was hopeless. He needed to calm his nerves before he could even think of proceeding.

‘it’s fine sans, it’s only some faulty wiring in the core’s control panels. i just have to replace some wires and get power back online. everything will be fine…’

Sans wanted to feel calmer, this fear was irrational. There was no one else in the building, he KNEW that. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. Exhaling a deep breath and gripping his toolbox tighter, Sans began walking down the dimly lit hallway. The clacking of his shoes on the steel floor echoed throughout the otherwise quiet passageway. At least the emergency lights were working, even if they only provided enough light to illuminate a few feet of space. As it was now, this hallway would be a great setting for a horror film, one that Sans didn't want to be in.

A sudden cold wind from behind picked up speed, making Sans’ lab coat flap wildly. The wind was strong, strong enough to make an eerie howling noise as it traveled through the passage. He froze, a shiver running up his spine. It felt like someone was breathing down his back. The skeleton braced himself before turning around, but saw nothing except the long hallway and flickering lights. Sans had begun sweating, his eyelights pinpricks as he frantically surveyed the area again. There was nothing but the long corridor stretching in both direction. He was alone, so why was he still scared? Sans tensed as the lights at the end of the hall became engulfed in a black mass that was quickly moving towards him.

No, no, no, no no no no no no! Sans turned and bolted down the hallway, dropping his toolbox in the process. He heard the tools clanging as they scattered across the floor, but that wasn't important. All that matter was getting to The Core.

“gotta reach the core. gotta reach the core. gotta reach the core. GOTTA REACH THE CORE!” he chanted. Sans could see the door at the end of the hallway, but every time he took a step it seemed to be getting smaller. Why is it shrinking… NO! It's getting farther away! Sans tried to quicken his pace but the hallway kept getting longer and longer, the dark mist right on his heals. He couldn't keep this up much longer. His legs were burning and it felt like his soul would explode from exertion. At the sides of his vision he could see the darkness creeping around him. “no please!” Sans pleaded. The skeleton made a last ditch effort to reach safety by taking a shortcut, but his magic wouldn’t manifest. All he could do was watch the mist engulf him as the hallway turned into a black void.

Sans blinked at the endless expanse of darkness reaching in all directions. Panic set in as he realized what was happening.

‘i-i'm trapped… i’m all alone… no one will find me in this hell… i need to get out!’

“HELP! PLEASE!!” Sans shouted to the void. “DON'T LEAVE ME HERE!!!” He prayed for an answer, but his words were lost in the endless darkness. The skeleton fell to his knees and gripped his skull in panic.

‘this isn’t happening. this can’t be real… why does it feel so real?!?!!’

The sound of muffled sobs echoed through the void. Startled, Sans looked around frantically. He saw a tiny half-frozen skeleton lying on the ground, marrow pooling from his arm and head as he cried in pain. “SANS PLEASE!” Papyrus wailed. “IT HURTS!”

“hold on papyrus! i’m coming!” Sans shouted as he began running towards the trembling skeleton. A loud crash made him stop. He whirled sharply to see his father hanging from a beam, the molten hot liquid of The Core lighting the area below the scientist. Gaster looked at Sans, fear clear on his face. 

“Sans!” His father sounded terrified. Sans turned to help but his brother’s agonizing wails made him freeze.

‘what do i do?! who do i help first?!’ he glanced back and forth between the two. ‘what do i do what do i do what do i do WHAT DO I DO?!’

Suddenly the sound of metal creaking caused Sans’ to face Gaster. The beam his father was clinging to gave out, and he plummeted. “NO!” Sans yelled as he frantically ran towards the edge. He watched in horror as his father disintegrated before his eyes, pure terror on Gaster’s face as he met his son’s gaze one last time before vanishing. “NO! DAD!!!” Sans cried as he stared at the molten liquid below him.

‘this can't be happening… oh god why is this happening?!’

“...sans…” The older skeleton was snapped out of his shocked state when a weak voice broke the silence. His little brother sounded exhausted. Sans looked back to see Papyrus’ still form on the ground, his face streaked with tears and marrow. The younger skeleton had suddenly gone quiet and was starting too… NO!

“HOLD ON PAPY!” Sans stumbled to his feet and ran towards his brother. Papyrus was dusting, his brother was dying! The dust blew off Papyrus’ body as he began falling apart. Sans tried to go faster, desperate to get there in time.

“...i’m sorry sans…” Papyrus whispered before completely disintegrating.

“NO DON’T!” Sans shouted as he fell to his knees in front of Papyrus’ clothing. He picked up his brother’s scarf with trembling phalanges and clasped it close to his chest, Papyrus’ dust whipping around him in the wind. He just clutched the scarf tighter as anguish and frustration took over and a piercing cry escaped him. Sans was screaming in agony. He had failed! He had failed everyone he cared about! 

‘WHY?!! why am i still here?! why do i get to live while they don’t?! the world just can’t let me die, can it? It will never let me join my family…’

“...Just give them back…” Sans whispered. “PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME ALONE!!!” He shouted to the void but received no answer. He fell to his side, curling in on himself and sobbing. “please give them back… please…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this was originally part of a chapter that ended up being over 3,000 words. I didn't feel like I was ready to tackle something that long at the moment so it's getting split in half. The second part needs more work so I'll have to leave this chapter on a depressing note.
> 
> Have fun :D


	12. Help From Unexpected Places

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An irritated Sans is held hostage by a worried Grilby and an infuriating Gerson. What could possibly go wrong?

Sans jolted awake in a cold sweat, hands and eye socket flaring with magic.

‘what the hell?! what just happened?! am i still in the void?!’

Panting heavily, Sans glanced around in a confused daze. He was in a familiar room with a big clock and wooden walls, all illuminated in his blue magic. Realisation dawned on him and he sighed in relief. It… it was a nightmare… it wasn't real.

Taking several deep breaths, Sans closed his sockets and tried to calm his magic. 

In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. Over and over.

The tension left his body as the room slowly went from a light blue glow to its original warmer tones. Magic dissipated, Sans opened his sockets. He looked at his sleeping spot and recognized it as Grilby’s couch. He was tangled up in an afghan with a bowl of cold soup on the side table close by. The short skeleton was left confused at the whole situation. When the heck did he leave Pap’s room? How long was he even out here? Sans glanced over at the grandfather clock. 11:43 am… Wait, what time did he fall asleep again? 

Wiping the sweat from his brow bone, Sans tried to stand but fell face first on the hard floor. The collision made a loud thud, followed by a muffled groan. Holding his sore forehead, Sans looked up only to remembered the tangled afghan… great. 

The pint-sized skeleton twisted his body to try and manoeuvre better. Sans spent several minutes on the floor squirming and wrangling with the afghan, only for the tangled mess to get worse. The effort was accompanied by a steady stream of cursing. “stupid thing with its stupid thread and stupid length and why does a fire monster even own this flammable piece of trash and stupid stupid STUPID-” Sans’ sockets widened, becoming aware of another presence in the room. He looked up to see Grilby leaning on the door frame with his arms crossed. The fire elemental looked amused by the struggle that the knitted blanket was clearly winning. 

Sans’ face flushed cyan before attempting a casual grin. “hey grilbz. sorry i’m a bit ‘tied up’ at the moment.” He chuckled awkwardly, laying back with his arms behind his head as if he meant to be on the floor.

Grilby stared at him for a long minute before speaking. “... I made food… I thought about giving you the option to eat but after hearing that horrific excuse of a pun I've changed my mind.” He walked over and grabbed Sans around the torso, unwrapping the afghan with little effort and tossing it on the sofa. He carried the confused skeleton through the fire door and into the bar where a chipper Gerson sat reading the paper with a cup of tea close by. Sans hung under the monster's arm before his mind caught up with the situation. Embarrassment took over again and the skeleton’s blush brighten.

“aw common grilbz, is this really necessary? i can walk!” Sans protested, though he didn't struggle much. Grilby plopped the skeleton on a chair by Gerson before turning to grab a plate. Sans looked at the glass of tea and silverware on the table. He'd forgotten Grilby made more than finger food, fries and burgers were the only things the skeleton ever bothered ordering. Sans unwrapped the spoon from the napkin and stared at his warped reflection. Even with the curved metal elongating his face he still looked like hell. A light chuckle from across the table caught his attention. He glanced over at the smiling tortoise monster looking him over.

“Finally awake I see. Ya feeling better?” He relaxed a bit, though still confused by the question. Sans hadn't thought about it until now, but his joints had stopped rattling and his fever was gone. Gerson must have noticed his change in expression, and gave a small chuckle in response. “Ya were out for nearly sixteen hours so I would hope ya feel better.” Sans stared at the older monster for a minute before realisation hit him like a freight train.

“SIXTEEN HOURS?!?!” He slammed his hand on the table, sockets wide and eye lights pinpricks. This wasn't a new record for him by any means, but being able to sleep that long at a time like this was a horrifying idea. He jumped out of the chair, unable to keep his emotions contained. “how’s papyrus?! is he doing any better?! shit! don’t answer that! i’ll check my-” A sudden case of vertigo made him stop. Sans’ knees gave out and he fell to the floor with a grunt.

“Wa ha ha! The stupidity of youth will never cease to amaze me.” Gerson howled as Sans struggled to get upright again. The skeleton tried to steady himself until a pair of black shoes appeared before him. Sans looked up to see the bar owner staring him down with a plate of food in his hands. Grilby watched the sheepish skeleton for a moment before grabbing the scruff of his parka and placing Sans back in the chair. The young monster tried to protest but was cut off by the plate being aggressively placed in front of him. He slowly looked up to see an agitated Grilby staring him down.

“...Eat.” The command was blunt but effective. Sans immediately started wolfing down the eggs and toast. He shivered as the warmth of the food’s effects set in, strength returning and magic replenishing. Sans hadn't realized how hungry he’d gotten since all of this started. The skeleton had been far too stressed to even think about eating for several days now, and his hunger finally caught up. The plate was emptied in under a minute.

“uhhh, would it be impolite to ask for seconds?” Sans gave a nervous chuckle. Grilby took his plate wordlessly and went back to the kitchen.

There was a moment of silence between the two. Sans nervously played with his fork before finally asking the dreaded question. “so, how is papyrus doing?” He asked, failing to hide the worry in his voice. 

Gerson looked up from his newspaper before answering. “He ain't gonna dust anytime soon if that's what you're askin’.” Sans gave a hesitant look. The tortoise monster sighed before elaborating. “He’s through the worst of his magic flux. It should level out in the next few days, then I can use healin’ magic to finish fixin’ the skull crack. I would rather you two stay here for another week or so until I feel confident about releasin’ him.”

Sans sighed a bit in relief, tension leaving his shoulders. He looked up at Gerson with the first genuine smile he’s made in a week. “thank you gerson. really, i don’t know what i would've done if you weren’t here.” 

Gerson waved him off. “Think nothin’ of it, it’s all part of the job. Besides! I couldn’t live with myself if I let a good kid like him dust.”

“heh heh, yeah. he is a really great kid.” Sans rested his arms on the table and closed his sockets for a few minutes. For the first time in days he felt like he could relax a bit. Papyrus would live. He would survive and he would recover, that was the most important thing.

A sudden knock at the front door made Sans jump. He glanced over to see the shopkeeper tentatively waving at him through the large window, a basket under her arm. “don't worry grilbz, I got this.” Sans called while shuffling towards the entrance. The skeleton unlocked the storefront and opened the door, standing face to face with the rabbit monster. “Hate to ‘bun’ you out, but grilbz is closed at the moment.” Sans said with a casual grin.

“Oh! That's not why I'm here.” The shopkeeper responded while ignoring the pun. “I actually wanted to give this to you.” She offered the basket to Sans. Confused by the gesture, the skeleton responded with a chuckle. He didn't know why she would be offering him a basket in the first place. 

“though i’m ‘fur’atered by the gesture, I must ask what the occasions for?” The shopkeeper gave a bewildered look before smiling softly. 

“It’s a get well gift for Papyrus. I’ve heard his condition is serious, and gathered a few things around the shop I thought he might like.” She forced the basket into Sans’ phalanges. “I’ve been trying to deliver it to your house the last few days, but when no one answered I feared the worst…” her worried gaze fell off to the side before returning to Sans with a relieved smile. “Thankfully Grilby has been watching out for you two.”

Sans looked at the shopkeeper, a bit shocked by the explanation. He wasn't sure how to respond to this unexpected gesture. “wow uhhh… thank you. this really wasn't necessary.” The shopkeeper waved him off.

“It was no trouble at all.” She smiled again before turning to leave. “I need to get back to the shop now. I hope your brother feels better soon.” The rabbit monster hopped off before Sans could respond. He glanced between the retreating shopkeeper and the basket in his hand. He honestly hadn't been expecting anything from the townsfolk. This was his problem, his mistake that he himself should deal with. He honestly still felt uneasy about all the help Grilby was giving him. Sans couldn’t stop feeling as if accepting Grilby’s help was taking advantage of their friendship. 

After a few minutes of staring, Sans shut the door and made his way back to the table. He eyed the basket thoughtfully before Gerson spoke softly. “You can put that with the others if ya like.” 

Sans raised a brow. “Others?”

“Yes.” Gerson nodded. “Several monsters stopped by this mornin’ with gifts and well wishes. Your lucky to live in such a tight nit community.” Sans just stared at him in disbelief. He was completely perplexed by all of this. The brothers had only moved to Snowdin a year ago. Why would people be so concerned about him and Papyrus? Sure Sans hung out at Grilby’s once or twice a week, but was primarily occupied with his work at The Lab. What little time was left he spent with Papyrus or sleeping. He barely had time to interact with anyone in town and Grilby was the only real friend he had in Snowdin. Was this an act of pity by everyone, or genuine concern? Sans couldn't tell.

Looking down at the basket, Sans opened the lid to peak at the contents. There were several cinnamon buns, some children's books, colouring books, a notebook, a green teddy bear, and a box of crayons. Sans smiled at the thoughtful gift, the shopkeeper had picked some really good stuff for Papyrus. His brother would really like the crayons. Papyrus’ current set only consisted of five colors and Sans couldn’t afford a larger set with how rare they were. The notebook would get plenty of use, with his little brothers puzzle designing, he’d fill it up very quickly-

The skeleton’s train of thought stopped immediately as he remembered what Gerson had said about his brother's arm, and a new weight settled in his chest. With a heavy sigh, Sans picked the fork back up and stared at the metal points. Despite the momentary relief, Sans knew this ordeal wasn’t over, not by a long shot. Even though Papyrus would survive, living with his new disability would bring its own challenges. He didn't know much about psychology or medicine, but he had enough smarts to understand it would take a long time to recover from this. That is if Papyrus could even recover from such a horrible thing... 

Sans shook that last thought from his mind. He needed to focus. Thinking about this with his usual pessimism wouldn’t help Papyrus get better. He’d need to be logical and come up with a plan. The short skeleton started making a mental checklist of things he’d need to focus on during Papyrus’ recovery.

‘Let's see… Papyrus lost his dominant arm, so writing will be an issue. I’ll need to come up with a lesson plan to reteach it. Scissors and utensils will also be a problem. Conjuring his magic might be hard as well…’

Sans’ mind started to wander to the negative place again. There are so many thing his brother won't be able to do now, so much he would miss out on… wait, did Papyrus even know his arm was gone? As far as Sans knew his brother had been out cold for over four days. How was he even supposed to go about breaking THAT kind of news.

“A penny for your thoughts, kiddo?” Gerson asked, folding the paper and grabbing his cup of tea.

Sans was tense and upset. He didn't feel like talking, but still managed to voice his worries. “how am i supposed to tell papyrus his arms gone?” Sans groaned as he dropped his head to the table. 

Gerson looked up from his tea and smiled. “Oh! Ya don’t need to worry about tellin’ him.” Sans turned to stare at the older monster with a raised brow bone. “He already figured it out.”

“WHAT?!” Sans slammed both hands on the table, shaking the plates and spilling his drink. “when did he figure this out?! and why didn't anyone tell me he woke up?!” Sans was fuming. He wanted to be there to comfort his brother once he was awake. Instead Sans was sleeping on the sofa while Papyrus was confused and scared, probably thinking he wasn’t important enough for his big brother to be by his side.

Despite Sans’ eye light flickering blue with rage, Gerson didn’t take notice. The tortoise was too focused on trying to remember… something. He simply sat there rubbing his chin before snapping his claws in success. “Oh right! Ya were sleepin’ through our earlier conversation.” Sans was ready to pounce, he wanted to wipe the smug grin from that stupid turtle’s face. 

That plan came to an abrupt stop when the tension suddenly dissipated. Both monsters became aware of another presence in the room. Sans and Gerson turned their heads’ to see Grilby silently staring at the two of them from across the table. Sans suddenly remembered the mess dripping to the floor, giving his friend a nervous grin in apology. Grilby didn't move or comment. He just glared at Sans for a long moment before sighing in defeat. The fire elemental put the fresh plate on the table before leaving to get gloves and a towel.

Sans sighed and slid back in his chair, pulling the plate closer though a little too anxious to eat right away. He was still pissed at Gerson, and wanted an explanation. The skeleton opened his mouth to speak again when bright flames suddenly flared from the counter. Grilby glared at Sans hard enough to burn holes through his soul. A low crackly growl came from the flame monster “...EAT.” With that everybody went quite, Sans begrudgingly eating his food. This conversation wasn't over, but he had the patience to wait till later.

\------------

Sans made his way to Papyrus’ room before closing the door and leaning on it, clutching his non-existent stomach. Apparently skeletons could get stomach aches from overeating, a fact Sans would have preferred not knowing. Grilby made him eat at least three helping before letting him go, and Gerson wouldn’t give any straight answers to Sans’ questions. The only thing Sans did solve was the sofa mystery. Apparently Gerson had the sleeping skeleton moved to the couch since he was in the way of the tortoise's checkup, and wouldn't move when being prompted. Everything else he was pretty much in the dark on. 

After the stomache pain subsides a bit, Sans turned to see that Gerson wasn't kidding about the gifts. The dresser was stacked full of various items from the townsfolk. There were flowers of all sorts of colors, as well as several balloons floating above them. Some books were stacked among toys and stuffed animals, and dozens of get well soon cards made by Papyrus’ classmates were placed neatly along the dresser. Sans’ didn't want to accept all of this, it was too much to take. It wasn't meant for him though, it was for Papyrus. How could he deny the town's generous donations if it would make his brother happy? 

Sans made his way to the bedside, sitting back in the familiar wooden chair. “hey papy.” he greeted, the younger still unresponsive. “everyone in town is really worried about ya. Of course, how could they not be worried about a cool kid like you?” The skeleton forced a laughed while opening the basket from the shopkeeper, pulling out some of the children’s books and flipping through the stack. “i’m also worried about you little bro, but I will try to stay positive for ya…” Sans paused to wipe his sockets before swiftly changing the subject. 

“how ‘bout I read ya a story? There are a lot to choose from. we have charlotte’s web, rainbow fish, stellaluna, dr. seuss, the phantom tollbooth, the jungle book, and peek a boo with fluffy bunny. anything sound good to ya?” after no reply was given, Sans put the stack on the table and picked up the top book. “all of them it is! i knew you had a good taste in literature.” Sans’ opened Charlotte's Web and began reading. He didn't know if Papyrus could hear him and he didn't care. All that mattered was him doing something for his baby bro that was more than just being useless. For now, at least, that was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, despite splitting the chapter the second half still ended up being 3,000 words. Oh well. Another Sans-centric chapter with more fluff. If there are any error that I missed feel free to let me know.
> 
> In case anyone was curious, Gerson's form of prompting equals using his cane to poke the skeleton in the face. It's not the most effective method...


	13. You're at Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a skelebros reunion when Papyrus wakes up and Sans is right beside him.

Everything was foggy and dark. He was floating in that heavy cloud again. Why did he keep coming back to this place?

“...ly see…”

He began to hear a muffled voice.

“...eyes...but…”

It sounded familiar.

“...isn’t there…”

...Sans? Is that Sans?

The fog seemed to clear a little, and Papyrus made his way back into awareness. Slowly, he managed to force his sockets open. His vision was still partially clouded, though it was less blurry than before. After blinking several times a dimm wooden ceiling came into focus. He didn't recognise it.

“...stars…he's really awake...”

What? Ignoring his obscured vision, Papyrus rolled his head to the left to see his brother looking back at him, his sockets pricking with tears and a quivering smile on his face. Sans wiped his sockets with his sleeve and tried to speak in a more even tone.

“glad to see you're awake papy.” Sans took Papyrus’ phalanges and began rubbing his knuckles.

‘Glad to see you’re awake’? What did Sans mean by that? How long was he asleep? And why was his older brother crying? He didn't like it when Sans cried. Papyrus wanted to sit up, hug his brother and make sure he wouldn’t cry anymore, but when the younger skeleton tried to move Sans place a hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him back down.

“slow down bro, you’re still sick. you need to stay in bed, alright?”

Papyrus wanted to argue, wanted to tell him why he should be allowed up, but just the thought of forming full sentences seemed tiring. Instead he just nodded.

The two remained silent for a few minutes, Sans quietly humming as Papyrus became more aware of himself. His limbs still felt weak and heavy, but the aching was mostly gone. His right arm felt weird though… Looking downwards the younger brother noticed everything but his left arm was covered in blankets. He couldn't see why his other arm felt so... Oh… It's gone now...

Papyrus wasn't sure how to feel. Normally he would be crying or freaking out, but for some reason he just felt numb. That cold feeling in his soul was returning, maybe that's the reason? He didn't have the energy to think too hard on it. Instead his mind wandered. It turned into a jumbled mess of confusing thoughts and competing questions.

‘Does Sans know my arm is gone? He must know, if Sans has been here then he must know about it… Then why was he acting happy? Shouldn't he be angry? When would Sans change his mind and be upset…?’

He didn't want to think about it. Hoping for a distraction, Papyrus looked to the right and saw a metallic stand with an IV drip. It was there the last time he woke up… What was it attached to? He shifted his good arm up to his chest and felt a tube hooking up to something under the blanket. Sans reached an arm out to stop him.

“hold on bro, that's connected to your soul.” Sans pulled Papyrus’ hand back to his side. “it’s hard to feed ya while you’re unconscious, so that was put in to keep ya stable.”

An IV in his soul? Were they in a hospital? Nothing else in the room looked liked it belonged in a hospital.

“...w-where are we?” Papyrus tried to say, though he sounded raspy and weak. His throat felt dry.

“we’re at grilbz’s house pap. he's been helping me take care of ya while you’ve been sick.” Sans gave a weak smile and brought his sleeve back to his socket.

Papyrus gave him a confused look. Grilby’s house? What’s going on? Why was he sick? What happened to him? The young skeleton didn’t understand anything anymore.

Sans began tearing up again drawing Papyrus away from his thoughts. Taking a closer look, the younger brother noticed how terrible the elder looked. Sans’ bones were paler than usual, and dark rings were clearly visible under his sockets. He looked exhausted, with pronounced dried tear tracks on his face. Why did Sans look so awful? Was he sick as well? Maybe that's why he's been crying.

“...a-are you alright?” He croaked. Papyrus didn't want his brother to be sick, especially if he wasn’t treating himself because of the younger siblings health. Sans just gave him a bewildered look before chuckling.

“i’m not the one sick in bed pap. you should be more worried about yourself.” Sans’ smile became more genuine. “Though it is just like you to put others before yourself.”

His response just made Papyrus more worried. Sans wasn't telling him everything, so what happened to make him so upset? He stared at the ceiling and tried to focus. What had happened? Why were his memories so fuzzy? He had to try and remember what happened. Think… think… there was snow… and noise…

Trees…

A rock…

…

An onslaught of images flashed through his mind, sporadic and vague but they were there. Visiting a cave. Cradling his broken arm. Struggling through thick snow. Sitting across from Mr. Gyftrot. Thinking he would never see Sans again. There wasn't a lot to go on, but Papyrus remembered enough to come up with one conclusion.

‘This IS all my fault. I really hurt Sans. I made my brother cry. He's been sick because of me…’

Papyrus had caused nothing but trouble for everyone. He got himself hurt, and now he was hurting his brother. His soul felt like curling in on itself with guilt. His breathing became heavier as the torrent of negative emotions flooded through his being. It was too much to handle. Tears began to prick in his sockets and he sniffled.

Sans’ expression became worried and he leaned closer. “what's the matter papyrus?”

“...I-I'm sorry.” He whimpered, tears starting to stream down his face.

“it’s okay papy, you have nothing-” Sans was abruptly cut off when Papyrus flung his arm around the older skeletons torso, burying his face in his shoulder. Sans wrapped his arms tightly around his trembling body and cradled him.

“I’m s-so s-s-sorry Sans.” Papyrus tried to say over and over, but all that came out were blubbery sobs.

Sans wanted to cry too, but held back enough for Papyrus’ sake. The elder brother felt he had cried enough for a lifetime, and Papyrus needed this after everything he's been through. He rocked the younger skeleton in a slow rhythmic motion, whispering comforting words.

“shhhh. it’s alright papy.”

“you're safe now. nothing's gonna hurt ya while your big bros around.”

“i love you so much. never forget that i’ll always love you.”

“i’m staying right here, papyrus. i’ll never leave you alone again.”

They stayed like that for a long time, Sans continuing to breathe reassuring words while Papyrus cried inconsolably.

‘I don't deserve this. Sans is supposed to be mad at me. Why isn't he mad?’

He felt like he was being selfish, but Papyrus didn't want to let go. As long as he was holding Sans he was safe, everything felt like it might be okay. Papyrus cried until he was completely drained. Even after his sobbing had turned to quiet sniffling and hiccups, Papyrus continued to hold onto his brother like his life depended on it.

“are you feeling any better?” Sans asked softly. Papyrus nodded but gripped tighter to Sans’ jacket. He buried his face deeper, tears soaking through the fabric. He still didn't want to let go, when he released his hold things would be bad again. The younger brother wasn't ready to face that yet.

Sans accommodated, stroking his skull and humming gently. The tune started out slow but he gradually picked up the tempo, humming turning to soft singing.

“ _Barges, I would like to go with you_  
_I would like to sail the ocean blue_  
_Barges, have you treasures in your hold_  
_Do you fight with pirates, brave and bold_.”

Papyrus remembered the melody. It was one of his favourites when he was a babybones. The two brothers would play pirates together in a homemade pillow boat, Papyrus the captain and Sans always his first mate. His big brother had found a tape in the dump called A Girl Scout's Guide to Camp Songs, and it featured a song about pirates and boats. Ever since then he couldn't help but sing the Barges song whenever they played. Papyrus closed his eyes, fondly remembering those happy moments…

“ _Out of my window, looking in the night_  
_I can see the barges' flickering light_  
_Silently flows the river to the sea_  
_And the barges too go silently_.”

Come to think of it, he didn't know what a ‘Girl Scout’ was. They never had anything called ‘Girl Scouts’ in The Underground. Maybe it was a human thing Sans could tell him about later…

“ _Barges, I would like to go with you_  
_I would like to sail the ocean blue_  
_Barges, have you treasures in your hold_  
_Do you fight with pirates, brave and bold_.”

Papyrus scrunched his sockets tighter at the wayward thought. He was supposed to be feeling guilty and upset! He did feel guilty and upset… Despite those feeling, however, Papyrus still found the low baritone of Sans’ voice with the familiar melodic tune soothing. He began to relax his hold and his breathing became more controlled.

“ _Out of my window looking in the night,_  
_I can see the barges flickering light._  
_Stars are brightly lighting up the sky,_  
_As the barges seem to skip right by._ ”

The toon was lulling him back to sleep. His hand laxed its grip from Sans’ jacket, tears stopping as a fresh wave of exhaustion came on. He felt safe and warm. Even if Sans was mad at him, regardless of the punishment he would receive later, he wanted to be with his brother forever. Despite his own misery everything felt okay in this moment. As long as Sans was there everything would be fine…

“ _Barges, I would like to go with you_  
_I would like to sail the ocean blue_  
_Barges, on the river you may roam_  
_On the river, always, you're at home_.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Pap and Sans finally interact for the first time! It only took 13 chapters but it happened.
> 
> The song is a scouts song I remember from years ago. The story goes that a young Girl Scout was on her sickbed when she wrote the song watching the barges on the river from her window. Supposedly she died before finishing the final verse. Whether it's a true story or not it felt fitting for this particular chapter.
> 
> Link to the best version of the song I could find:  
> https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dF2i6RQUqAE
> 
> P.S. thanks for all the support on this story so far! I can't believe my first fic has already reached 1,200 hits and 84 cudos. All of the comments as support help keep me going with this so thank you all again :D


	14. Things are Getting Heavy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans and Papyrus being awesome brother's, followed by Sans making a decision that could have bad consequences.

The two brothers hugged each other for a long while. Sans sang through the lyrics multiple times before returning to humming the tune, gently rocking Papyrus in his arms. The boy had finally relaxed and was starting to doze off again, the room relatively quiet aside from Sans soft humming and the occasional sniffle.

Sans closed his eyes and breathed deeply, incrementally relaxing his shoulders.. For the first time in days the elder brother’s frantic mind had managed a moment of calm, finally able to think clearly and sort through his thoughts. It was strange, but he felt an overwhelming sense of relief when Papyrus gripped him tightly and cried in his arms. Though he knew it was irrational, Sans had feared Papyrus would be upset with him for being such an irresponsible guardian and letting him get hurt like this. He thought his baby brother wouldn’t want to see him anymore or even talk to him. Instead Papyrus had pulled Sans into a tight embrace, using the older skeleton as a lifeline, a center of comfort and safety. Despite being tired, sore and emotionally exhausted, the tension in the San’s body seemed to dissipate a bit at the small comfort this gave.

Sans stopped humming when a soft knock sounded from the door. He glanced over to see Grilby standing by the slightly ajar door. Sans made a shushing motion with his hand, to which the flame monster tried to comply by slowing down the doors motion. The doors hinges had a different idea, producing a loud creaking noise. Papyrus jerked awake from his stupor and stiffly grabbed Sans’ parka. He shifted his head enough for a quick peek at the bartender, never moving from Sans’ hold. Thankfully he seemed to be done crying for now as his attention was now fully fixed on what the flame monster was holding. Grilby carried a tray with two steaming bowls, the scent of seasoned chicken and fresh rolls quickly filling the room.

“I'm glad to see your awake Papyrus.” His flames flickered gently. “I brought food for both of you if you're hungry.” The flame monster must have heard the two brothers from down the hallway and prepared something. It’s a good thing too, judging by Papyrus’ reaction.The boy was now fully facing Grilby with his hand clutch to his sternum, his tiny soul pulsing at the prospect. Papyrus looked up at Sans and nodded eagerly. The older brother smirked at the younger’s puppy dog eyes before turning to his friend.

“thanks grilbz, well take some.” Sans held his grin as Gribly placed the tray on the night stand.

“Thank you.” Papyrus whispered, avoiding eye contact with the unfamiliar monster. He had remembered Sans talking about going to “Grilby’s” on occasion. The young skeleton even passed the building on his way to school, but had never been inside before. He had never seen the owner either, and found himself a bit intimidated by the tall fire monster. Grilby didn’t seem to mind his sudden shyness, and simply nodded with a soft crackle before leaving. Papyrus relaxed at the flame monsters absence and eyed the tray eagerly.

Sans reached over to grab a bowl for Papyrus only to see a tiny hand beat him to it. “I want to do it!” Papyrus exclaimed, voice cracking at the sudden rise in volume.

“Alright, alright. Just hold your patella for a sec.” Sans carefully emptied the tray before placing it on Papyrus’ lap. The small skeleton bounced a little in excitement when Sans gave him the bowl and spoon. The younger sibling held the bowl with his left hand and brought it closer. He moved his stump in an attempt to grab the spoon, only to remember seconds later that he couldn’t grasp anything anymore. His expression turned panicked before Sans interjected.

“no big deal, pap. i’ll show ya how to do it like your big bro.” Sans was already a lefty, so that would thankfully make some demonstrations a little easier. Attention away from his missing limb, Papyrus watched intently as Sans gripped his own spoon. The younger tried to copy his sibling’s movements until he managed to maintain a decent hold of the utensil with trembling phalanges. Papyrus dipped the spoon in the broth and shakily brought it to his mouth. By the time it got there, however, most of the content had spilled onto the tray. Frowning, he tried again, making the mess grow with each attempt.

Sans would rather spoon feed the kid and avoid the mess, but Papyrus was so focused on something not terribly that he didn’t want to ruin it. Instead he winced a little each time Papyrus spilled more soup everywhere, nearly waterlogging the tray. After about the thirtieth attempt Papyrus finally managed to get a spoonful to his mouth. He looked up at Sans beaming from his new accomplishment.

“good job pap.” Sans chuckled as Papyrus continued to eat, making less of a mess with each spoonful. At least his baby brother was a fast learner. Maybe the relearning process wouldn’t be as bad as Sans feared.

“Sans?” The older skeleton snapped back to attention when Papyrus spoke after emptying the bowl. His voice already sounded better, though still a bit weak.

“what’s the matter bro?” Sans asked as he moved the tray off the bed, grabbing a towel from the nightstand and soaking up the spilled liquid.

“When can we go home?” Sans hesitated for a moment. He wanted to please his brother but also knew they needed to stay until Gerson deemed Papyrus healthy enough to go.

“we can't leave for a little while longer. not until you're a bit better.” Sans gave a weak smile that failed to reassure the younger skeleton.

“Oh… okay.” Papyrus looked off to the side, clearly disappointed by the answer. Sans looked around frantically for a new distraction before his eyes fell on the dresser.

“you know, everyone in town's been really worried about ya.” Sans said, glancing at the younger with warm eyelights.

Papyrus looked at him skeptically. “They are?”

“of course. just look at all the gifts they left ya.” His smirk widened while motioning towards the dresser. Papyrus’ looked stunned by the mounds of stuff. Instead of the big smile Sans had expected, Papyrus responded by staring at the items incredulously. He met his older brother’s gaze with the most genuinely confused look Sans had ever seen.

“But why though?” Papyrus asked, still not understanding.

“Because your the coolest bro!” Sans exclaimed as he went towards the gifts and began grabbing the stuffed animals. “Look at all this! They left you toys, books, and your classmates even made cards for ya. Isn’t that nice pap?” Sans turned to his brother with a few of the items, only to see Papyrus lying down again facing away from the dresser.

“what's wrong papy?” Sans asked nervously. He had hoped seeing how much the town cared would help his younger brother feel better, but it seemed to have the opposite effect.

“I’m tired.” Papyrus mumbled. Sans relaxed a bit at the answer. Of course he was just tired. He had just expelled a lot of energy and was filled up on food. He would probably be more excited once he felt better.

“that’s alright pap.” San made his way over to the bed with a stuffed dragon and the green teddy bear, placing them against the pillows. He glanced to the floor and noticed the book he’d been reading when Papyrus woke up.

”how about I reread that story from earlier?” Sans suggested while picking up the book and smoothing the now crinkled edge.

“What is it?” Papyrus asked turning his head towards Sans, interest peaked.

“it’s called The Phantom Tollbooth. it’s a pretty crazy book.” Sans explained as he flipped to the first page.

The small skeleton rolled over, now fully looking at Sans with genuine curiosity. “Why is it crazy?”

“you’ll just have to listen and find out.” Sans grinned before starting on the first paragraph.

“There was once a boy named Milo who didn't know what to do with himself — not just sometimes, but always.” Sans began while setting up the mood for a great adventure. Papyrus was really interested now, grabbing the stuffed dragon and holding to to his chest while watching intently.

Having already read over two thirds of the book, Sans remembered most of the parts and used that to take some creative liberties, acting out the scenes and personalities of the characters while improvising a few lines. He crouched down and spoke with a broadcasting voice for the Whether Man; made car noises while Milo drove through the countryside; and took on a slow droning tone for the Lethargians in the Doldrums, slumping over the chair to mimic their board behavior. Papyrus’ laughter at Sans sliding off the chair in mock apathy fueled Sans to add a little more excitement to the story telling. The younger brother jumped when a growl came from the closet, only for a Gaster Blaster to come floating out with San barking like a dog. He went over to the standin for Tock the Watchdog and moved its jaw up and down with his magic. “Hi I’m Tock the Watchdog.” Sans said in a gruffly voice, the movement of the blaster’s jaw completely out of sync with the words. The goofy voice from the scary blaster left Papyrus in a giggle fit.

Hearing the little skeleton laughing made Sans feel elated. It had been a week since he heard that noise. And he wasn't going to take it for granted ever again. He would give it his all to make his baby bro happy, even if it was physically taxing to do all this moving around and improv.

Sans had become a one man show, getting so into it that he was walking around the room acting out the parts, the book itself mostly forgotten. By the time he reached the part Milo and Tock escaped the Soundkeeper, he notice Papyrus had gone mostly quiet.

“what did ya think of that chapter pap?” The elder huffed. He didn't realise how winded all this moving around made him. Sans move his blaster over to see Papyrus sleeping soundly, arm having laxed on the stuffed animals with the dragon fallen on the floor.

Sans flipped through the pages until he found the chapter they were on, creasing the page corner before placing it with the other books. The skeleton shuffled over and leaned the dragon plush against the pillow. He pulled the blankets over Papyrus’ shoulder and ‘kissed’ his forehead.

“Sweet dreams bro.” He whispered. Sans should probably get some sleep too, that story had gotten far more physical than he anticipated. Turning to grab the chair he remembered the messy tray and the soup soaked towel. Right, he should probably clean that up so Grilby doesn't have to. The flame monster had already done so much for the two skeletons it was the least Sans could do. Grabbing the tray the older skeleton quietly crept out of the room, leaving the door open to avoid the squeaky hinges.

He made his way to the kitchen, hesitating in the doorway. It was the first time Sans had been in Grilby’s kitchen, and was amazed by how big and well stocked it was. Pots, pans and several other utensils he didn't recognize adorned the walls. It was so immaculately clean that the skeleton was almost afraid of touching anything. Getting over his initial nervousness, Sans slowly crept to the sink and began running the water. He wrung the towel getting out as much soup as possible, though it was still wet. Sans wasn't even sure whether or not Grilby ever washed his clothing, knowing his aversion to water. The skeleton eventually decided to hang it in the bathroom until he can ask Grilby about it. Satisfied with his decision, Sans washed the dishes and headed towards the hallway, towel in hand. He was nearly passed the fire door when a hardy laugh stopped him. It was coming from the bar area. Curious, he leaned his ear hole against the door and listened to the muffled conversation between Gerson and Grilby.

“... Did he say anything about what happened?” Grilby crackled.

“Nah, said he doesn't remember. We’ll give him time ta recover before askin’ again.” Questioning? What are those two talking about… Sans’ eyelights narrowed when he began connecting the dots. Is Gerson talking about Papyrus? Why was he questioning Papyrus without telling Sans first?!

The short skeleton could feel his magic bubbling with rage. If it wasn’t for the fact Grilby needed to open the fire door for him to enter the bar, Sans would have blasted that stupid turtle to New Home. Instead he stood there seething for several minutes before noticing the state of the room. The small area was lit in his blue glow with jagged bones protruding from the floor.

Sans closed his eye holes and pinched the bridge between his sockets. No matter what that stupid turtle said Sans needed to remain calm. The skeleton breathed deeply several times, willing his magic to dissipate and the bones to scatter into used magic. The room slowly returned to its natural coloring as he exhaled, tension leaving his shoulders. Emotions under control, Sans leaned his skull to the door again trying to pick up on the conversation.

“Alphys said the blizzard disrupted the visual feed between here and Hotland, as well as damaged several of her cameras.” Gerson said thoughtfully.

“So we don't have video evidence as to why Papyrus would be out there to begin with.” Grilby sounded frustrated. They must have been discussing this for a while now.

“Not necessarily.” Gerson countered. “Alphys said the cameras themselves would have been recording even if the signal ta Hotland cut out. As long as the cameras haven't been damaged too badly she should be able ta recover somethin’ useful.”

Sans was flabbergasted, now fully grasping the significance of their conversation. The Royal Guard was still investigating the incident and nobody told him, not even Grilby. He couldn’t help the pain throbbing in his soul, knowing that his only real friend wouldn’t tell him something this important. But why would Grilby and Gerson leave him in the dark like this? This was about his little brother! Did they not think the older skeleton could be useful in some way?! Sans leaned against the door clutching his sternum, a mess of emotions at this betrayal.

“In the meantime, I'm thinkin’ I'll have the guard interview the teachers at the elementary. Heck! They might know somethin’ we don't.” Gerson said in his usual infuriating tone.

“Do you think his classmates could be responsible?” Grilby crackled.

“Not sure, but it's worth a shot.”

Sans didn’t know what to do. The older monsters seemed to think someone at Papyrus’ school might have left him in that storm. Was it a teacher? A student? Sans wasn’t sure anymore but he knew he needed to find out.

Sans took out his phone and sent a quick message. If he wanted to learn anything he would need to talk to his coworker about it, seeing as Gerson and Grilby don’t trust him apparently. He dropped the towel to the floor and took a shortcut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone remember that time when Sans actually tried? I sure don't but I like to think before the resets started he had more energy and was more expressive.
> 
> This chapter was difficult and didn't want to be finished at all. After several weeks I'm sick of looking at it so here it is. I'll reread it later and fix any errors.
> 
> Also 100 kudos! I'm glad so many people are enjoying this so far! :D


	15. Gaining Intel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans heads to the lab, while Papyrus and Grilby have a talk.

Sans ported to the front of The Lab, pacing back and forth before entering. His initial plan was to just ask Alphys to see the footage, but after reconsidering he decided that was a stupid idea. Sans didn’t know how much Gerson had told Alphys about the incident. He wasn’t even sure if the tortoise monster asked her to keep Sans in the dark like everyone else. Regardless, he would need to figure out what Alphys knew before asking about the recordings. Besides, if being upfront didn't work he could always sneak in and watch the tapes without her knowing. 

With his new plan of action, Sans scanned his keycard and entered. He briskly walked through the entryway past the large monitor and empty desks. He ignored them, preferring not to think of the other scientists that disappeared along with his father. It was weird, but Alphys didn’t remember her own co-workers. She seemed to think they had always been the only two scientist in the building, and no one had held the position of Royal Scientist in decades. At first Sans thought she had gone mad, but then everybody except the skeleton seemed to agree with Alphys. It made Sans wondering if he was really the crazy one here, that everyone he’d ever worked with were actually figments of his imagination and he belonged in a looney bin. 

He shook the thought from his mind as he arrived in front if the elevator. Alphys’ work station was downstairs, away from the empty upper floor. He wouldn’t need to be questioning his own sanity for much longer. Sans pushed the elevator call button, sliding door opening seconds later. He took a step forward only to start at the short yellow dinosaur inches from his face.

“Gah!” Alphys jumped back, clearly not expecting Sans to get there so soon. 

“no time for that alphys, i came to help.” Sans said while entering the elevator and hitting the down button. Alphys stared at him bewildered.

“U-um w-what do you m-m-mean Sans? I t-thought you n-needed my h-help…” She stuttered, acting nervous about Sans’ erratic behavior. The skeleton was confused by her worse than normal stuttering, but soon realized why. He remembered looking like shit the last time he saw a mirror and hadn’t cleaned himself up before coming. To top it off the sudden pushy and angry demeanor probably seemed strange for such a normally laid back monster. If he wanted to make any progress with her he would need to act as normal as possible.

Sans remained quiet until they reach the bottom level, untensing his posture and trying to level his voice. “gerson asked you to recover footage from your cameras, right?” Alphys began sweating, unsure where this conversation was going.

“Y-yes, he did ask the o-other day. B-but how do you k-know?” she asked while fiddling with her claws. 

“i heard captain gerson wanted all employees of the lab to assist with footage recovery. since we're the only two here that also includes me.” Sans stated with the most casual grin he could muster. It was a half truth, but the best explanation Sans could think of. Thankfully the skeleton was a good liar as Alphys seemed to relax a bit, losing most of her stutter.

“Oh good! B-but what about your brother? Hasn’t he been sick the last w-week?” Shit, Sans had forgotten about his week long absence. He hadn't really given a detailed reasoning for it either. Thankfully, with Alphys being such a shuttin and the cameras down she was unlikely to know too much about the incident. On top of that, her ignorance to Papyrus’ real condition suggested that Gearson hadn't told her the details yet. Hopefully this was indeed the case.

“my bros been doing much better. he’s well enough that i felt comfortable leaving him with a sitter.” He still technically wasn't lying. Papyrus was in far better shape now than he was yesterday. Plus if he needed anything Grilby would be close by. Alphys let out a tense breath and awkwardly smiled.

“O-oh good!” she exclaimed, relieved by the news. “I was so worried about you two, b-but as long as he’ll be a-alright without you we can get started.” Sans couldn’t help but chuckle. Even around her own co-worker she was a stuttering mess. Alphys led the way to her work station, Sans close behind.

“have you recovered anything yet?” Sans asked, eager to learn of the dinosaur’s progress.

“S-some footage, yes. Though I s-still have a lot more to go through.” She opened the door and flicked the light on, revealing several messy stacks of papers taller than he was. Old food containers and dirty dishes were scattered amongst the stacks, an old food odor permeating the area. Even by Sans’ standards this room was a mess, but that wasn’t what he was there for. Carefully walking through a narrow pathway amongst the piles, the two came to a table that had all of Snowdin’s cameras laid out in a row. All of them were numbered, indicating their positions in the forest. Some of them looked destroyed beyond repair, while others were in decent condition.

“S-so far I’ve finished working on C-Cameras One and Two, though they were so b-badly damaged I could only recover a f-few minutes of film.” Sans could see why. They were the cameras located by The Ruins entrance and the first sentry station along the path. Both had less tree cover, leaving them more exposed to the harsh weather. The results left the cameras beyond repair. They each had a cracked or missing lens with even more cracks and dents on the plastic casing. He was sure water damage from the ice and snow made the interiors even worse.

“I managed to extract about an hour of film from Camera Three, though I haven’t w-watched it yet.”

She must be fixing them in numerical order, despite the first few being in the worst shape out of the lot with the exception of Camera Nine, which would have been located near the town sign. That one didn’t even resemble a camera anymore.

“alright alphys, what do you need me to do?” Sans asked, eager to figure out what the tapes hid.

“I-if you could watched the tapes and record the times with viewable footage, t-that would be a huge help.”

“can do alph.” Sans grinned while grabbing the tape from the table and heading towards the small room with the VHS player. “i’ll let ya know if I find anything.” Sans shut the door and popped in the video. He sent a quick text to Grilby before grabbing his notebook and pen from his coat pocket. Sans hit the play button, The TV coming to life with white and black static from the damage real. He hit fast forward and waited till images became visible, recording the time and carefully scanning for anything suspicious. No matter how long it took, Sans was going to get the information he came for, with or without help.

\------------

Papyrus awoke with jolt, frantically glancing around the room. Orange magic sputtered in his right eye but dimmed as reality set in. He was in the strange room again, but he was alone. Sans was gone… Sans was gone!

“Sans…” Papyrus whispered, still terrified from his dream. That dark shadow was chasing him again, lurking behind every corner and refusing to quite. He didn't want to be alone. His bones rattled in fear, tears pricking in his sockets. “Sans!” He cried louder, receiving no response. The room suddenly felt a lot bigger. He hadn't realized how dark the room was, and scary…

Tears began running down the skeleton's face, his sputtering magic the only light source in the room. The resulting glow was far dimmer than it should have been, waning like a dying flashlight. 

Papyrus couldn't take it anymore, he needed to find Sans! The small monster turned his body till his legs were over the side. Carefully, he slid until his feet touched the floor. Grabbing the bedsheets with his hand, he tried shifting weight to his legs, only to collapse with a spell of dizziness. He hit the floor hard, a painful tug ripped at his soul as a loud crash echoed through the room. He looked at the metal rod reflecting the orange light of his magic, IV bag lying close by. He had forgotten about the IV, apparently the tube didn't reach very far. His eyelights followed the tube from the IV bag all the way down to the needle, which was no longer in his soul. He felt his sternum to be met with a sticky liquid on his hands. Faint orange magic was leaking from his soul!

Terrified, Papyrus began rattling violently, tears streaming as loud sobs erupted from his body. “SAAAANNNNNNS!” He half screamed half blubbered. Loud thudding erupted from somewhere in the building, causing the floor to vibrate as it got closer. The door violently swung open as the lights flickered on. Papyrus looked over to see the flame monster from earlier, his brother nowhere in sight. Where was Sans?! He wanted Sans!!!

The crying became louder as Grilby rushed to his side, assessing the damage. “It's not that bad.” Grilby stated calmly after examining the small soul. The reassurance did nothing for Papyrus, who continued to blubber his brother's name. Grilby placed his hands around the skeleton and scooped him off the ground, placing him gently on the bed. 

“I’m going to stop the bleeding, alright?” He took the screaming to mean yes, and focused magic into his arm. His fiery hand began glowing with green magic, and he slowly placed his palm on the bleeding soul. Papyrus gasped as a rush of energy coursed through him. It was a warm and comforting, soliciting a sense of calm. His fear evaporated, sobs quieting as the magic mended the tear. Grilby released his hand from the boy's ribcage, grabbing a small towel from the nightstand and cleaning up the excess magic. 

“There we go, all fixed up now.” Grilby said while wiping off the child’s ribcage.“You shouldn't need the IV anymore. Let's get you a clean nightshirt.” He opened the dresser drawer and pulled out a green button up pajama shirt with black polkadots. He took the dirty shirt and help Papyrus into the clean one, throwing the soiled one over his shoulder.

“Are you hungry?” Grilby asked, hoping to keep the kid calm. Papyrus looked away while wrapping his hand around the clean pajama top. It smelled funny, like it had been sitting in the dresser for ages. The fabric was soft though. He liked the feeling between his phalanges... 

“Papyrus?” The skeleton jumped, remembering the other's presence. He glanced upwards to see the monster’s flames flickering with concern.

“... Where's Sans?” Papyrus finally asked. Even if he wasn't scared anymore he still wanted his brother. Grilby paused before carefully answering.

“Sans messaged me earlier. He said he had important Core maintenance to do and wouldn't be back for a little while.” Papyrus began tearing up again. 

“B-but we can still have fun in the meantime. Sans says you like puzzles, right?” The small skeleton wiped his sockets before nodding. He watched as Grilby brought out the tray from before and a few puzzle boxes from the dresser. He presented the puzzles to Papyrus. 

“Which one would you like to do first?” The young skeleton eyed his options carefully. There was one with two kittens on it, another puzzle of the ocean with odd creatures, and a car themed one. Papyrus tapped the puzzle with the automobiles, always eager to look at surface vehicles. Grilby placed the other two on the nightstand before carefully opening the box and spilling the pieces onto the tray. The two began quietly sorting through the pieces before Grilby spoke up.

“Do you lake cars?” Papyrus nodded is head, not looking away from the puzzle pieces.

“Yes. There my favorite.” Papyrus poses what he was doing, brightening up as he thought more about them. “Sometimes Sans brings home magazines from the dump with lots of cars in them. I like looking at the pictures.” He fondly remembered the stack of magazines on his bookshelf, pictures he wouldn't be able to look at for a while.

“Do you have a favorite kind of car?” Grilby asked, hoping to keep the conversation going. 

“Umm, a Buge--Bugatti.” Papyrus fumbled over the pronunciation, he knew he didn't say it right, and forgot the last half of the name. Grilby, on the other hand, just seemed impressed that he answered with a model of car instead of saying “truck” or “convertible.”

“I've never heard of that kind of car before. What does it look like?” Papyrus gaped the bartender in disbelief. How could he not know anything about cars! Then again Sans seemed far more interested in space and science then Papyrus was, maybe Mr. Grilby just had different interest?

Papyrus began explaining how they were super fast cars that can turn into convertibles. How pretty and unique they were among other cars, and his desire to drive one someday. Grilby listened intently as Papyrus chattered about his love of vehicles and the car magazines in his room. By the time Papyrus remembered the puzzle nearly an hour had passed. Regardless the young skeleton had finally opened up to the bartender and felt far more comfortable around him.

After getting back to the puzzle Grilby asked a question that Papyrus wasn't expecting. 

“Papyrus… why were you in the woods by yourself?”

“I wasn't by myself-” Papyrus covered his mouth as soon as he said it, sockets widening at the slip. He had promised his friends not to talk about their hideout. Maybe they would get in trouble too for being in the woods with him. He didn't want to betray them like that. The skeleton looked at the floor trying to avoid Grilby’s gaze.

The flame elemental watched the skeleton before crackling softly. “Papyrus… it is important for us to know what happened. If someone hurt you we don’t want them to hurt anyone else. You wouldn’t want anyone else getting hurt, would you?” Papyrus shook his head, still averting his gaze. In all honesty the other kids had hurt his feelings… not intentionally he hoped! But would they do it again to someone else? There was a long moment of silence before he finally spoke up.

“Do you promise not to tell anyone?” the young skeleton questioned, still deciding if he could trust the older monster or not.

“As long as no one else is in danger, I will not tell.” Papyrus looked at him for a long moment, still unsure but eventually averted his eyes again. 

“I was playing hide and seek with my friends…” the flame monster waited patiently for him to continue. “They took me to their secret hideout then we played. I was looking and couldn't find them, then the snow got bad…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay Alphys is here :D 
> 
> Sans you better quite while your ahead. Otherwise Gerson and Grilby will have more then few choice words for you.
> 
> Thanks again for all the comments and support! The shear mount of people that have read and enjoyed this fic just boggles my mind.
> 
> Enjoy


	16. Inside of Grilby's Head

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grilby tries to contact Sans, then proceeds to worry until someone comes to visit.

Grilby closed the door before letting out a long sigh. No wonder Sans is always tired. Having a full time job and raising that bundle of energy would leave him exhausted too. 

He walked to the couch and took a seat, leaning back to stare at the ceiling. How long was he in there? The kid woke him up screaming bloody murder at 4:00 in the morning. Unfortunately for him the skeleton had no interest in sleeping again. With Sans busy the fire elemental spent the entire morning and most of the afternoon with Papyrus. Even with the kid stuck in bed he was still a handful. He only now got Papyrus to settle down enough for a nap, and who knows how long that will last. Grilby looked at the clock, 2:23 pm. He hadn't even opened the bar that morning. Was there even a point in opening it now? 

Grilby closed his eyes and took a long breath. He was going to have to tell Gerson about this, regardless of the promise he made to Papyrus. At the moment, however, he was more concerned about contacting Sans. He had texted the skeleton earlier to let him know what happened that morning, but the older brother hadn’t responded yet. Was he really so busy that he couldn’t spare a moment to text back? Sans dropped everything and camped out at the bar the whole week when this all started. Had something changed? Maybe he was overthinking this… 

The elemental shook the thought from his mind. Of course his concern was justified! Sans is still a kid, barely out of striped shirts. Who knows what thoughts are going through his skull? Grilby fished the phone from his front pocket and dialed Sans’ number. If Sans wouldn't text him back, then Grilby would just have to call him. The phone rang multiple times before going straight to voicemail. Perhaps Sans is away from his phone and couldn't answer in time? Grilby called again, only to get the same stupid message. 

“Hello Sans, this is Grilby.” The bartender said after the prompt. “Please call or text me back when you get the chance.” He put his phone away and stood up, searching for a distraction. He could always wipe the glasses down a few dozen times while he waited, though a bit unnecessary. Maybe a late lunch for Papyrus would be a better idea.

Grilby walked to the kitchen, setting his cell phone on the counter in case Sans called back. Grilby eyed his food supply trying to think of an appropriate meal. He couldn't make anything too solid, as Papyrus was still recovering, so a simple soup should suffice. The bartender swept through the kitchen grabbing various ingredients. Placing them on the counter, he ran through his mental checklist. Onions, potatoes, oregano, carrots, garlic cloves, broth, seasoning, and chicken. That should be everything. Grilby grabbed a pot and knife, setting the vegetables by the cutting board and filling the pot with water. With a snap of his fingers the stove was lit and the water heated to a boil. He used his magic to thaw the chicken while dicing the carrots and potatoes. He worked deftly, adding the veggies and chicken to the pot before sprinkling the seasoning. Before long everything was together and he topped of with a lid on the pot.

He glanced at the clock again. 3:05 pm, Sans surely should have seen his message by now. The fire elemental grabbed his phone hoping for a response, only to feel disappointed by the lack of notifications. He was really getting worried now. Did something happen? Where is Sans? 

After setting the timer, Grilby left the room to find his phone book. If something was wrong with Sans, then it would probably be better to call The Lab directly. He managed to find the phone directory under the bar counter. He very rarely used the thing, but it the last week it has been a real life saver. Otherwise he would have had to go door to door during that horrible storm, not a good fit for a being made of fire. He dialed as soon as he found it and prayed for an answer. Unfortunately, he was greeted with another voicemail. Maybe they were busy. Or maybe it's worse than he first thought. What if there was an accident? What if Sans is hurt, or worse? Maybe the whole lab caught on fire?! Grilby frantically called the number a second time, fingers tapping the counter impatiently as the phone continued to ring. Right before going to voicemail, a timid sounding monster answered. 

“H-h-hello?” Stuttered the person on the other end.

“Hello, this is Grilby from Snowdin Town. I was hoping to speak with Sans the Skeleton? I’m a friend of his.”

“O-oh! He a-actually left early this m-m-morning.” responded the timid monster.

Grilby furrowed his flaming brow. “He left earlier? Did he say where he was going?”

“N-no, j-just that he had b-b-business to take care of.” The fire elemental was getting more confused by the second. What was going on? Why hadn’t Sans returned after work?

“... I see.” Grilby stated. “Thank you.” He hung up before the other monster could respond. Leaning his elbows on the counter, the flame monster rubbed his temples. What was happening? Is Sans okay? His behavior makes no sense…

A knock at the window brought Grilby to attention. Gerson was standing at the front door waving to him, a new satchel across his shoulder. Grilby rushed to the door and unlocked it, allowing the Guard Captain to enter. He went to the kitchen to make tea for Gerson and ground charcoal for himself.

By the time he walked back Gerson had already laid out several files filled with images. His expression was thoughtful as Grilby sat down and flipped through them. They were grainy, but the file labeled Camera 8 showed stills of five children walking into the forest, and four children leaving several hours later. The time stamps matching the same day as the storm. The fifth child in the first image had a red scarf and bone white head. He didn't leave the forest with the others. Grilby rubbed his nasal bridge. It matched up with the details Papyrus himself gave, though it still hurt to see. He flipped through the other files, realizing that photos from nearly all of Snowdin’s cameras were included.

“Alphy's got these to you fast.” Grilby commented, genuinely amazed by how efficiently and quickly she recovered the footage.

Gerson nodded. “Oh yes. She was so modest about it too! Sayin’ that she had help and wouldn't even be close to done without them.”

Grilby stared at the tortoise monster wracking his brain. How many people even worked at The Lab? Sans had only ever mentioned Alphys when discussing work. Were they the only two in there? He doubted she would have allowed someone outside of the science department to help in this matter. Would Sans be the assistant? How would he even know about the footage to begin with?

“Gerson, did you happen to tell Sans any details on the case yet?”

“No, I wasn’t plannin’ to until we had all the necessary information.” Grilby nodded in understanding. Supposedly Sans had quite the reputation when matters involved his brother. His impulsive reactions had gotten him in trouble with The Guard before coming to Snowdin, though Grilby didn't know the details. Regardless of whether the stories were true, after having Sans as a customer for so long he could understand Gersons caution. 

“Were you aware that Sans was working at The Lab all night?” Gerson looked at him confused before smiling.

“Oh good! Glad to hear that short stuff is gettin’ out of the house. It's healthier not to threat about these things constantly.” Gerson hummed, not seeming to follow Grilby's thought process.

The fire elemental rested his head in his hand. If Sans was the one that helped Alphys with the cameras, he would know who was responsible, right? Would he be so rash as to attack the perpetrators himself. But the responsible party involved a bunch of children…

Grilby swiftly stood up and grabbed his jacket. “I need to step out for a little bit. Can you watch Papyrus?” Gerson looked confused before chuckling at his frantic friend.

“Sure thing, you do what you need.” Gerson responded while putting away the photos. 

“Good, I'll be back later!” Grilby rushed out the front door, only to pop back in a few seconds later. “There's soup on the stove, turn the heat off when the timer ends.” This time he was really gone, leaving Gerson to clean up his files. 

Grilby jogged to the woods, causing many residents to stare in confusion at the normally stoic flame monster. He ignored them, trying to remember the layout of the forest. He had a pretty good idea where Sans might be, he just hoped to make it in time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short Grilby chapter. He can't help but worry, he cares too much. Should have Sans in the next chapter, will he have his revenge? Will I drag this anticipation out for several more chapters?! Probably no to the latter.


	17. Shit Hits the Fan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans finds his targets, vengeance on his mind. Can Grilby make it in time?

The school bell rang. Students excitedly packed their bags and left the classroom after a long day of school. Most headed home, chatted with their friends or went to the playground. All except for four young monsters, slowly trudging towards the woods in a tense silence. They stopped at a cave forgotten by many, going inside and sitting down quietly. Normally they would be playing games or talking amongst themselves, but today was different. They were going to hold a super serious club meeting to discuss the… incident from last week. 

They did something bad. All four of them knew it. They played what was supposed to be a harmless prank that went horribly wrong. Sure some monsters would see ditching their classmate in the woods as mean, but this was Papyrus! That annoying kid that drew puzzles in his notebooks and never stopped talking in third person. No one had ever seen him upset, the weirdo never even complained about the names they called him. Surely he wouldn’t be against a prank or two, right? It wasn’t like they had meant for Papyrus to get hurt, so why did they all feel so awful about it?

Nobody wanted to break the silence, or suggest telling anybody about what they did. They would be in serious trouble, and maybe if they just apologized to Papyrus they could get away without their parents finding out?

It was several minutes before the shorter Snowdrake finally broke the silence. “... I think we should tell somebody.”

“Don't!” The rabbit monster sputtered. “I'm always in trouble at home already. I don't want to make it worse.” She looked off to the side wrapping her arms around herself.

“He might have a point…” that taller Snowdrake said averting eye contact. “People are going to find out eventually, Papyrus will probably tell on us.”

“But we haven't gotten in trouble yet and it's been a week! Maybe he won't tell anyone?” Ice Cap chirped in hopefully. He soon trailed off at their lack of response. 

Another bout of silence fell over the group. This super secret meeting wasn't going as well as they'd hoped. The Ice Cap was about to break the silence when a dangerous voice spoke from behind.

“So,” the voice echoed somewhere through the passage. “I’ve heard you’ve been lookin for a bad time.” 

\------------

The children turned to see the stalky skeleton at the cave entrance, shock and confusion evident on their faces. Nobody seemed to recognize him with his hood up, though they could definitely see the glowing eye staring daggers at them. Sans could feel the strong heat radiating from his socket, magic intense enough to make half his skull burn. As soon as he saw the footage of those brats leading Papyrus into the woods, an intense desire for vengeance bubbled within him. These were the ones that hurt his brother, and as long as Sans was alive the little bastards would pay.

“I've heard ya like dragging other kids into the forest, only to beat them up and abandon them. Ya know, cuz it's funny right?” The children's eyes widened in horror, which was all Sans needed to see. These vermin were well aware of their sins, but haven’t confessed to anyone. Heck, they hadn’t even tried apologizing! The smaller monsters frantically looked at one another before the rabbit timidly stepped forward.

“S-sir, we didn't-”

“Shut up!” Sans spat, voice echoing loudly off the cave walls. “I saw everything myself, so don't even try it!” He clenched his fists as raw magic began manifesting around them. Jagged blue bones rapidly sprouted from the floor and ceiling, forcing the children against the stone door. A few bones jutting near the girl’s feet made her leap back in fright. She shrunk back against the door with the others, too terrified to speak again.

“Papyrus was hurt in that snow storm, alone and lost out in the forest all night. But you already know that much, right?” It wasn't really a question, everyone in town had heard that part of the story. Nothing stayed hidden for long in Snowdin.

“Did you know you nearly killed him? Did you know he lost an arm because of you brats?!” Sans squeezed his sockets shut, entire frame trembling from the effort to restrain his magic.The jagged bones grew several inches, forcing the children to cram together. All of them were shaking now, trying to whisper apologies to the enraged monster.

“What did he ever do to you ass-hats?! All he ever wants is to make friends with everyone, and look where that got him!” His sockets snapped open, flooding the dark cave with waves of blue and yellow magic. Sans began chuckling darkly, hand raising as he eyed his prey down. A large dog-like skull manifested a few feet in front of the group, concentrated magic pooling in its mouth.

“And look where it’s about to get you.”

\------------

Grilby was back tracking again. Sans wasn't by the Ruins, nor was he near the Ball Game. He was sure the children’s hideout would be somewhere around the Ball Game, the kids used to love that area when Fuku was younger!

Winded from the excessive amount of running, Grilby stopped to catch his breath. The more time he spent running across the forest the more agitated he became. This was getting ridiculous! How many places would a group of eight year olds find fun enough to make into a hideout?! With a frustrated growl, he slammed a clenched fist into the nearest tree, leaving scorch marks on the cold bark. Sans was going to do something really stupid, and if he couldn't make it in time more children were going to get hurt. He should have pressed Papyrus for more information about their hideout. The kid was pretty forthcoming about everything else but stubbornly kept the location secret.

The old bartender breathed deeply. He couldn’t waste any more time here, he needed to keep searching. Grillby began running again, wracking his brain for anywhere else he could look. There's a clearing not far north from here, maybe they play ball in the field or something? Changing direction, the fire elemental rushed through deep snow and undergrowth, trying to listen for any signs of activity up ahead. It didn’t sound promising, he couldn’t hear anything but his own footfall. His fears were confirmed when he reach the clearing, seeing nothing but an empty field and a Gyftrot grazing near the opposite treeline. 

His shoulder fell as he exhaled in defeat. He was really screwed now. Grilby had hoped to find Sans before he did something warranting an arrest. He had initially hoped he could reach Sans in time without getting The Guard involved. If Sans hurt those kids he could lose custody of Papyrus, or possibly land a life sentence in the dungeon. Even threatening them could get Sans in serious trouble. Unless a miracle presented itself he would have no choice but to call The Guard.

“Good day.” Grilby snapped to attention at the deep voice. The Gyftrot was now standing directly in front of him, a hint of concern in his gaze though he kept his expression neutral.

Grilby panted and lifted his hand in acknowledgement, still too winded to speak. The Gyftrot waited patiently for the flustered bartender to catch his breath before speaking again.

“... Is there a problem?” the Gyftrot ask, eyeing the flame elemental carefully.

“Y-yes, Have you seen a short skeleton? He’s a bit round, always smiling, wearing a blue jacket?” The Gyftrot’s eyes seemed to widen at the word skeleton, or perhaps Grilby had imagined it? Gyftrots weren't known for being emotional, or expressive for that matter. The monster thought for a moment before shaking his head.

“What about a group of children? Do you know if there's a group of young kids that play around here?” The Gyftrot considered his words before nodding.

“There are many children that play in the forest. There are the teenagers that hide around the river, the young ones that play in the cave-”

“I’m sorry, did you say a cave?” Grilby interrupted. He had never heard of a cave in Snowdin Forest before. The Gyftrot nodded.

“Yes, there is a cave not far South from here.” The Gyftrot indicated towards the trail. “It is off the path on the side of the hill. Not many visit it.” Grilby nodded. He still didn’t know anything about this cave but if that’s where the children were then Sans wouldn’t be far behind. 

“Thank y-” a loud boom interrupted the fire elemental, echoing loudly through to cavern. The sound was accompanied by small tremors through the ground, causing both monsters to stagger. Grilby whirled around to see a bright blue light fading over the tree line, large billows of smoke and steam rising from the area. Without a second thought Grilby took off towards the aftermath, leaving the shocked Gyftrot behind. The closer he got to the epicenter the more his stomach churned. He had no clue what was happening, only that Sans’ magic is blue and that the smoke was coming from the South. Those factors accompanied with a blast like that could not be a good. 

Grilby skidded to a halt at the top of the hill and froze, attempting to process the scene. A large rut was carved through the ground below the cliff side, nothing but smoldering dirt remained of the line of snow and trees that once covered the area. On the next ledge up sat the blue clad skeleton hugging his knees, facing the newly cleared portion of forest. Whatever Sans had done, it was clear that nothing would have survived it. 

Grilby clenched his fist, trying to control the shaking. His most regular customer and good friend, Sans, had just dusted a bunch of children, the same age as Papyrus. Shock and guilt were quickly replaced by rage. Flames roaring, Grilby stormed down the hill and lifted Sans by his coat collar. 

“What have you done?!” Grilby growled, slamming the skeleton against the sheer cliff side. Sans said nothing, eye sockets completely empty and as close to expressionless as a skeleton could be. Grilby’s anger was boiling over, concern for his friend completely forgotten. He slammed Sans against the wall a second time, a loud crack echoed from where his skull hit the rock side. Sans started murmuring under his breath, fresh tears welling in his sockets.

“What was that?” Grilby spat, already prepared to throw the skeleton down the rest of the incline.

“... i… i couldn't…” Sans whispered, unable to complete the statement. Grilby was too frustrated to wait for an answer, instead performing a status check on the captive skeleton.

Sans the Skeleton  
HP: 11/15  
LV: 1  
AT: 1  
DF: 1

Grilby's grip loosened as anger was replaced with confusion. If Sans LV was still one, then he hadn't dusted anybody. But if that's true, where were the children? A muffled sob caught Grilby's attention. Looking left, he saw a small cave entrance where the crying was located. Dropping Sans to the ground, The flame monster slowly walked to the entrances of the cave, only to find a thick wall of jagged bones blocking the way. Grilby stared at the wall of bones as things began clicking into place. He wasn't too late after all. 

“Sans, you need to let them go now. Alright?” Grilby looked back at Sans, still on the ground where he was dropped. The skeleton remained silent, but eventually let the wall of bones disintegrate. Grilby went to enter the cave only to be nearly toppled by the group of fleeing monsters. The four ran right past Sans and up the hill, crying and screaming for their parent. Sans didn’t react, only pulling his knees to his chest and burying his face in them. Grilby wasn’t sure what to say. He felt relieved that the kids were unharmed, guilty that he hurt his friend, and still pissed at Sans’ reckless behavior.

Eventually he walked over the the skeleton and sat beside him, staring out at the newly formed rut in the cavern floor. The two sat in silence for a long time, observing the leveled landscape.

“I-I couldn’t do it G... “ Sans whispered. Grilby looked at Sans but remained silent.

“I wanted to hurt them so badly. I was literally ready to dust a bunch of kids.” He wiped his face with his coat sleeve, still avoiding eye contact. “I was expecting them to be a group of sadist or something, but they weren't… They were a bunch of idiotic kids. Hell, none of them even tried defendin’ themselves.” He pulled his hood further over his face, trying to hide his tears. Grilby tried to think of something to say, but his mind came up blank. Instead he reach his hand over and started rubbing circles on Sans’ back. The skeleton didn't protest, instead leaning into the contact.

“... Am I a bad brother?” Grilby tensed a bit at the question, unsure where this was going.

“Why would you ask something like that?”

“Because those brats hurt Papyrus! And I wasn't strong enough to punish them for it…” Sans sniffled. “Hell, I was too busy sleepin’ to even notice he hadn't come home after school that day. What kind of guardian falls asleep right before a storm like that without Papyrus home first?!” Sans’ voice cracked on the last word, choked sobs beginning to wrack his frame. “I'm so useless, this is all my fault.” There was a moment pause before Grilby found his words.

“No.” Sans looked up at Grilby in confusion. “None of this is your fault, so don't even start blaming yourself. And every time you do I'll be right here to remind you otherwise.” Sans seemed unconvinced, so Grilby elaborated. “You're not the only monster down here that's raised a kid alone. I was by myself shortly after Fuku was born. It was just me and her, and I had no one offering to help me.” The fire elemental looked forward again with nostalgia in his eyes.

“I made lots of mistakes, I second guessed myself all the time. But despite my failures, Fuku didn't love me any less. I was so focused on what I thought were failures that I overlooked her own feelings on the matter. And those feeling were that she didn't care.” Grilby turned to look Sans straight in the eye lights.

“And I know for a fact Papyrus feels the same way. No matter what you think of yourself his feelings have never changed. He never stopped loving you and he never blamed you for any of this. To him you are still the best brother in the world, and it's time to start acting like it.” Sans seemed momentarily stunned, rolling over the words in his head. After several minutes he wiped his face clean, nodding his understanding. 

“Thanks Grilbz, I think I needed that.” The fire elemental smiled softly and gave him a pat on the back.

“Are you ready to head back?” Sans nodded and grinned, slowly getting to his feet. Grilby followed suit, taking several steps towards town before Sans spoke again.

“Wait if you're here then who's with Papyrus?” Sans eyed him suspiciously before his posture tensed. “You didn't leave him alone did you?!”

Grilby turned to look at the skeleton incredulously. “Of course not! he's with Gerson right now.”

“That's even worse!” Sans was in a full blown panic, and Grilby didn't know why. Did Sans and Gerson have a fight or something? Sans’ magic was manifesting, but Grilby saw it coming. He grabbed Sans around the torso and held him tightly before the idiot could take a shortcut. Sans struggled to get free but didn't budge.

“Awww come on G! I just want to get back to Pap! I swear I won't do anything!” Grilby clutched him tighter as he started trudging towards town. 

“I think we'll take the slow route today. Besides after the stunt you just pulled I’d rather you stay by me.” Sans stopped flailing, crossing his arms and huffing in defeat. Grilby chuckled and walked forward again, expression becoming focused. There was no way Sans would get off easy for nearly hurting those kids. He just hoped the punishment wasn't too severe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic still lives! Sorry about the wait, but I wanted to give the Sans/Grilby conversation the attention it needed. Hopefully this chapter doesn't seem too rushed. I personally think HP in Undertale stands for HoPe, which I don't think Sans completely lost until the resets started, thus a higher HP.
> 
> Also that beginning section would have been a great end for last chapter, too bad it didn't come to me midway through writing this chapter.
> 
> Let me know what you think! I love reading comments :D
> 
> Enjoy!


	18. The Fallout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans and Captain Gerson need to speak with each other, the latter aware of the others recent stunt. He cannot let the skeleton go unpunished.

As soon as they entered the bar, Sans fought against Grilby to be released, bolting towards the back room the second he hit the floor. Sans rushed through the bedroom door to find Papyrus awake with Gerson sitting close by. The bandages around his socket had been removed and a tray with an empty bowl of soup sat on the nightstand. Papyrus had sparkles in his socket, completely enrapture in Gerson’s story. Gerson himself had his hand over Papyrus’ eye socket, green healing magic radiation from his claws.

“H-hey Papy.” Sans greeted while trying to hide his embarrassment. Looks like he over reacted… again.

“Sans, your back!” Papyrus looked overjoyed to see him. Gerson turned to acknowledge the older brother before finishing up Papyrus’ skull. 

“All fixed! You'll always have the mark, but the bones all healed up.” Gerson chuckled while Papyrus probed the scar with his fingers.

“Thank you Mr. Gerson.” Papyrus said hastily, as if he almost forgot to say it in his excitement. Gerson laughed heartily, clearly enjoying the spectacle the two brothers caused when together. Papyrus looked back over at Sans as if he had the best news in the world to share. “Brother! Mr. Gerson said if I work really hard I can join the Royal Guard!” Sans’ eyelights guttered out. That bastard was telling his crippled brother what now?

“Heh, that's great Pap.” Sans said through clenched teeth, shooting the tortoise a death glare. Gerson didn't seem to notice as he went right back to laughing at the elder brother’s reaction. A gentle knock sounded from the door before Sans could retort. Grilby slowly peeked inside, making sure he wasn't interrupting anything important.

“Gerson.” The tortoise turned to Grilby. “There are some concerned parents at the door wanting to speak with you. They look to be the parents of ‘you know who.’” Gerson nodded in understanding, moving from his sitting position and walking towards the door.

“Ya two stay right here. I have official business to attend to.” With that Gerson left the room. Grilby shut the door behind him, locking it with a soft click. Geeze, Grilby must really not want anyone interrupting. Or he could still be mad at Sans, that was also very likely.

“Sans! Sans!” Papyrus reached his arm out expectantly. Heh, the kid had always been quite the hugger. He always did give the best hugs though. Sans made his way over to the bed, leaning in to embrace his brother before taking a seat in the chair. “Sans, you're all wet!” Papyrus was getting that nagging tone.

“Relax bro, I'm nothing but bones remember?” Sans’ grin widened, but Papyrus only seemed to get irritated.

“B-but you’ll get sick!” 

“That wouldn't be so bad. Then I could take more time off work and we can hang out all day. Wouldn't that be fun?” Sans expected Papyrus to be excite by the prospect, but instead he became more upset.

“I-I just don't want you to fall down brother…” Sans went rigid. Where the hell did Papyrus learn what ‘falling down’ meant? He was about to push the issue until seeing the pout and puppy dog eyelights on his baby brother's face.

“Alright, alright. If it makes you feel better I'll take the coat off. Does that work?” Papyrus nodded his head eagerly. Sans yank his jacket loose and threw it to the far corner in a wet heap.

“Sans!” Papyrus huffed. “It's gonna get all smelly if you leave it there!”

“Nah bro. It just needs to ‘sop’ in the corner a bit. I’ve been out in the cold all day you know.”

“But that's-” Papyrus suddenly gasped, as if remembering something important. “Mr. Gyftrot!” He said loudly.

“Uhhhh, who?” Sans asked rather confused. Why was his baby bro talking about Gyftrots of all things? Papyrus met his sockets, eyelights starting to sparkle with excitement.

“Sans! I made a new friend! I made a new friend!” Papyrus was squealing with happiness, beginning to bounce in place on the bed.

“Woah woah woah, slow down Papy. You need to be resting, remember?” The younger skeleton stilled his body, though he was twiddling his feet back and forth under the covers. Heh, at least Papyrus had gotten some energy back. He must be on the right road to recovery. “So how did you meet this Mr. Gyftrot?” Papyrus perked up, looking at his brother like it was Gyftmas or something.

“Mr. Gyftrot helped me when I got lost!”

“He did now?” Papyrus nodded enthusiastically.

“He also tried healing my head.” Papyrus motioned to the scar along his socket. “But he's not very good at it.” He was giggling now like it was the funniest thing he’s heard all day. Sans couldn't help but chuckle. His little brother's joy was too contagious.

“It's the thought that counts though.” Sans added. Papyrus nodded in agreement.

“I felt a little better after, so that was good! And he was tangled in so many Gyftmas lights brother! They were all over his legs and head.” Papyrus made exaggerated arm flails trying to demonstrate how tied up the poor monster was. “He must be super clumsy to get all tangled like that!” Sans smiled half heartedly, not wanting to break the news that some teens were probably responsible, doing it as some kind of cruel prank. “I helped him get loose though! And he was very grateful. He even gave me a ride home!”

“He did?” Sans questioned. He thought the Dogi brought him back, no one ever mentioned a Gyftrot. Papyrus nodded.

“He was very soft, but I don't remember much of the trip…” Papyrus’ expression went from thoughtful to very focused, trying hard to pull from memories that weren't there.

“Don't strain a muscle Pap. It's not worth hurting yourself over.” Sans interjected before Papyrus gave himself a headache.

“Do you think we can visit him?” Papyrus asked hopefully. Sans really wasn't sure. He didn't want his little brother going back in those woods anytime soon, and he still knew nothing about this Gyftrot. If he really did save Papyrus though, then he couldn't be that bad of a guy, right?

“Sure Pap. We’ll head out sometime and thank him.”

“Can we go tomorrow?” Papyrus was practically bouncing in excitement again.

“No bro, it will have to be another time.” Papyrus became quiet, thinking very carefully about Sans’ words.

“The day after tomorrow?” He asked instead.

“How about I ask Gerson when he thinks you'll be well enough, alright?” Papyrus went quiet before finally deciding he was fine with that compromise, giving several excited nods.

“I hope he says the day after tomorrow!” Papyrus began babbling with excitement, already planning all the fun things they would do together. Sans was just happy to see Papyrus back to his old self again. It had been too long for Sans’ taste since Papyrus has had such a happy attitude, and he'd rather the little tyke stay his goofy loveable self.

The doorknob clicked suddenly, opening to reveal Grilby on the other side.

“Sans, Gerson would like to speak with you.” The bartender’s flames seemed to flicker a bit with worry, and Sans couldn’t help but feel the same. Now that his emotions weren't clouding his judgement, it became clear that Sans wasn't getting out of attacking those kids without some form of punishment. He didn't know how severe his sentence would be, but based on Grilby's demeanour it couldn't be good.

“Sans, is something wrong?” He turned to see the younger skeleton looking up with worry, catching on to the tension rather quickly.

“Nah bro, everything's fine.” Sans tried to reassure. “I'll be back before you know it.” Papyrus gave a small nod. It was clear he wasn't convinced, and Sans wasn't convinced with himself either. He smiled before standing up and making his way out the door, shuffling down the hallway and into the bar itself. Gerson was sitting at one of the tables, several files, a cup of tea and a notepad scattered around him.

“Ahh, there ya are. Think ya can sit down for a chat?” Sans slowly made his way over, taking a tense seat across from the guard captain. Gerson flipped through his notepad before coming to the page he wanted, setting it down and and looking directly at Sans.

“I just had a word with the parents of a few children from the elementary school.” Gerson began. “They came ta report that a strange monster in a blue coat had attacked their children while they were playin’ in the forest this evenin’.” Gerson took a sip from his teacup before continuing. “Funny enough, they happened ta be the parents of the children that abandoned Papyrus in the woods last week, and just the monsters I was hopin’ ta speak with. We came to the agreement that as long as the parents take care of disciplinin’ their children for their actions, The Guard would take care of the monster responsible for attackin’ the youngsters.” Sans braced himself, as he could only see this ending badly for him. 

Gerson flipped through his notepad again and stopped on a blank page, jotting a few things down before looking Sans strait in the sockets. “Now, I take it the monster that intimidated these children was yourself, correct?” Sans tried to give an answer but couldn't get the words out, instead looking down at table and nodding. Gerson scribbled a few more notes before continuing. “I see. So knowing that these kids are have a record of not bein’ trustworthy, and because all the Snowdin cameras are currently down, it becomes your word against theirs.” Gerson paused waiting for Sans to say something, but he didn't speak. “I take it your silence means ya calmly confronted the youngins and told them ta never touch your brother again, right?” Sans looked at him confused. The hell is he talking about? The tortoise monster took a few more notes before continuing. “Right, and since ya haven't proven ta be a liar yet, I'm thinkin’ we can trust your story over theirs, right?” Sans raised both brow bones in shock. The captain couldn't seriously be doing this. “For the crime of light intimidation I'm thinkin’ that qualifies as an infraction. We’ll settle it with a 200 gold fine and about 30 hours of community service. Seems pretty fair ta me, don't ya think?” Sans jaw practically fell off in shock. This had to be against the law, the captain couldn't seriously be letting him off this easily.

“I-I don't understand.” Sans whispered, feeling like his metaphorical gut had been removed. Gerson looked up with a sly grin.

“Look, I'm retirin’ in four months and I'd rather not be responsible for separatin’ any more families. As long as we both agree ta push this under the rug, I'll let this go with a light punishment and a warnin’. Agreed?” He offered his clawed hand to the young skeleton, who took it with trembling phalanges.

“T-thank you.” Sans said, voice trembling with emotion. He never realized his custody over Papyrus could be in jeopardy. Sans could have been separated from his baby brother forever, but the old bastard showed him mercy. Gerson simply laughed at him before ripping the page of his notebook out and handing it over. 

“Here are the times you'll report for community service, and the date you'll need ta pay the fine by.” Sans took the note and nodded, still in a complete state of shock. “I think we're done. Ya can head back now.” Sans just nodded before shuffling to the guest room. He still couldn't believe this. He was grateful, relieved and still terrified all at the same time. Like this would all end up being a bad dream or a huge joke, but so far nothing has proven otherwise. He and Papyrus would be okay, they would both stay together. That was all that mattered now, he had to keep telling himself that. 

“Brother…?” Sans jolted and glanced upwards, not realising he made it to Papyrus’ room so quickly.

“Hey bro.” Sans tried to say in a level tone. “Told you I’d be back soon. Now why don't we do a puzzle or something?” Papyrus considered momentarily before agreeing, choosing a puzzle with some kittens on it for the two to work on. They both worked in relative silence, Papyrus eventually seeming to forget his worry from earlier. Sans sighed. He could do this, he could keep his bro safe and happy from now on, and things would go back to the way they were. They had to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic isn't dead I swear! My focus has been primarily taken over by the other fic I'm currently working on, but I still have ideas and future sections written for this one. Updates will just be a bit on the slow side.
> 
> Leave a comment if you feel like it. They help drive my motivation to complete these things.


	19. Oats and Toast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's supposed to be Papyrus' first day back at school, but things don't go as well as Sans had hoped.

The alarm clock went off, and Sans was up immediately for once. It was going to be big day, and he needed to be sure everything was perfect. He left his room and looked around the hallway. It was still dark, and no sign that Papyrus was up yet. Good. 

He snuck down stairs and got Papyrus’ favorite breakfast out. Dinosaur egg oatmeal. He's been making his baby brother a lot of this recently, but that's alright. Whatever made the little guy happy now days. He set the oats and water in the microwave, setting the timer for two minutes. 

This was it. It's been a full month since he brought Papyrus home from Grillby's and his little brother… hasn't really been out much, but that was going to change! It's supposed to be Papyrus’ first day back at school today, and Sans really hoped that would help his baby bro get out of the funk he's been in. At least he's pretty sure it's a bad mood or something. He's been a lot more jumpy recently, or fidgety might be a better word. Sans is pretty sure all the bed rest and time indoors is making him stir crazy. Returning to school should be the best thing for him.

“Sans?” He turned to see Papyrus in his onesie standing in the doorway.

“Mornin’ bro. Ready for your first day back at school?” Papyrus seemed unsure, but eventually gave a hesitant nod. “Great. I've made breakfast for ya bro. It's your favourite.” The child seemed to perk up a bit, making his way towards the table and taking a seat. Sans turned to the microwave, pulling the steaming oatmeal out and setting it on the table.

“Are ya excited to see your friends again? I'm sure they missed ya.” Sans grabbed his own breakfast from the toaster and took a seat himself. 

“I guess…” Papyrus looked off to the side while playing with his spoon. That wasn't what Sans was expecting to hear. His little brother still seemed gloomier then he should, but maybe it's just nerves taking over?

“Don't be too nervous bro. I'm sure everyone will be ecstatic to see ya. Plus I'll be dropping ya off at school, and picking ya up right after.” Sans added hoping to calm the other.

“Your coming with me?” Papyrus asked incredulously. 

“Course bro, I'm gonna be all over everything from now on. I'm gonna make sure today goes well.” Papyrus gave a warm smile and began swiftly eating his oatmeal. That's far more like it. He waited for Papyrus to finish, taking the dirtied dishes and leaving them to soak. “Let's get ready for today. Sound good?”

“Okay Sans!” Papyrus ran up the stairs with far more vigour than earlier. Sans couldn't help but smile, happy the first thing on his checklist went off without a hitch. Now for the commute to school.

\------------

Dressed in his uniform and ready for work, Sans opened the front door to start the trek to Papyrus’ school. In the past Papyrus would walk to and from school by himself, but those days were over. Even if it killed him, Sans was going to accompany Papyrus every day from now on. Thankfully the younger skeleton seemed excited by the idea, finally acting like his old self again. Sans peered out the door at the wall of white swiftly falling to the ground. It wasn't a snowstorm by any means, but it would certainly add several more inches to the already deep snow. The big snowflakes were creating a nice thick blanket of white. 

Papyrus was on the couch pulling his boots on hurriedly, still not having a better method of slipping shoes on with one hand. He was finally moving on to his second boot when Sans chimed in about the weather. “Hey Papy, looks like it's snowing today. Great conditions for making snowskeletons after school if you want.” Papyrus’ sockets widened at the statement, his soul felt like it dropped to the floor. He couldn't go to school today, he couldn't let Sans leave the house!

Sans was about to take a step outside when Papyrus rushed forward and grabbed his coat sleeve. Sans turned to look at his younger brother with a raised brow bone.

“Please don't go outside.” He pleaded. The larger skeleton gave him a perplexed look, as if he couldn’t see the danger. Didn’t he know what the snow meant?! Papyrus just wanted to keep both himself and his brother safe!

“come on Papyrus, it's completely safe. I’ll show you-” Sans made to take a step but Papyrus pulled harder, sending the larger skeleton off balance. He barely caught himself, narrowly avoiding a fall. While Sans was distracted, Papyrus ran past him and slammed the door shut, blocking it with his body. Sans turned to look at his frantic brother, eyelights narrowing. “come on Pap, I have work today and you have school. We can’t stay home.” Sans reached for the doorknob but Papyrus blocked his hand, shaking his head vigorously. He could not let Sans go outside, no matter how much trouble he would be in. The taller skeleton began losing his patients before grinning. “Whelp Pap, if you won’t let me use the door then i’ll just have ta take a shortcut.”

Papyrus’ eyelights turned to pinpricks before his body rushed forward. “NO!” he shouted trying to grab Sans, but his brother vanished from existence leaving him reaching for air. He was rattling now. Sans was outside, bad things were going to happen and he couldn’t stop Sans. The door swung open and Papyrus jumped at the noise. Sans stood on the other side of the front door grinning lazily.

“See Pap. Nothin’s gonna hurt ya, now come on before we're late.” Papyrus’ was tearing up, he knew something bad would happen if they left. He jolted when a hand suddenly landed on his good shoulder. “Come on Papy, I'll be right here the whole way.” he grabbed Papyrus’ hand and began leading him out the door. The younger followed reluctantly, but tried to think positive like his brother wanted. Maybe Sans was right? Maybe it would be okay. Maybe-

A cold wind and clumps of snow hit Papyrus’ face and he jumped back, shaking like a leaf as terror flooded through him. Flashes of that night flooded his brain, being cold, alone, hurt, scared. His soul was pounding and he felt his legs tingling. Tears were streaming down his face as he curled on the ground and started bawling.

“Papyrus! What's wrong!?” Sans shouted, kneeling down to pull his brother upright. Papyrus could feel an arm reaching around him and flinched back. His magic flared in his panic, a bone forming and whacking Sans in the face. Papyrus bolted up the stairs and lock his bedroom door before falling on the floor crying. He hugged himself with his good arm and curled up on his side, hiccups and sobs wracking his body. Images of that night wouldn't stop playing over and over again. The pain and fear as he laid bleeding in the snow, hugging himself unable to move. The loneliness and fear when the hard snow and freezing winds left him helpless to the terrifying forest around him. He gripped his stub tighter. 

All he could think about where bad things. The snow is bad. Papyrus is bad. Everything is bad bad bad bad bad bad BAD! Bad things are going to happen today. The last time it snowed this hard he lost his arm, and now he had hurt Sans. Who knows what else this snowfall would bring!? He couldn’t take it!

Papyrus barely noticed the soft knock at the door before his brothers muffled voice came through. “Hey Papy, can I come in?” Papyrus was crying too hard to answer, and shaking too hard to move. There was a long pause before Sans spoke again. “I'll wait here until you're ready, okay?” He heard Sans slide down the door, sitting on the other side. It didn't help with the crying. Papyrus just wracked and sobbed harder.

\------------

Sans sat at Papyrus’ door, rubbing the small bruise the bone attack left on his forehead. He wasn't expecting his brother to attack him. Sans doubted Papyrus even meant to do it. 

He wasn’t sure how to react in this situation. When Papyrus started acting weird about leaving, he thought playing it off as no big deal would help him calm down, like he had earlier that morning. Instead he went into a panic attack and locked himself away. This isn’t just a temper tantrum. He was beginning to think Papyrus’ strange funk wouldn't be a short term thing either. A horrible sinking feeling welled up in his metaphorical gut. This wouldn't be the last time something like this will happen. He needed to seek help.

At least a half hour had passed before his brother’s sobbing subsided. When Papyrus fell silent, Sans shortcutted into the bedroom. The child was curled up on the floor, his shaking had stopped and his breathing less ragged. The younger brother’s face was streaked with tears but instead of looking scared his expression was empty, barely able to stay awake. Sans leaned over and scooped Papyrus off the ground, taking a seat on the bed. 

“I called off work today, but i won't be able to do this every time it snows.” Papyrus stayed silent, Gripping Sans’ shirt and burying his face in the fabric. “You'll have to attend school sooner or later.” The younger shook his head into Sans chest, still not making eye contact. With a sigh Sans glanced at his dresser, seeing a stack of papers with crayon drawings all over them. Carefully Sans reached over to grab the stack, pulling the drawings closer and flipping through it. The top pages were clearly Papyrus’ writing practice. The handwriting was still sloppy and barely stayed on the lines but at least there was improvement. The majority were drawings though, lots and lots of drawing attempts. They certainly weren't the happy artwork he was familiar with Papyrus creating. These ones were almost creepy, lots of big dark ragged trees and a darkened sky and background. There were also some that were almost pitch white, subtle hints that Papyrus stabbed the white crayon on the white page over and over again. A whiteout? Is that what this meant?

Sans shook his head in defeat. This can't be good. The elder was terrible at interpreting art stuff. How was he supposed to know what this meant? Maybe he could get a second opinion though? He would be heading to Gerson’s place next week for his community service work. Would the old tortoise have an idea what this stuff all meant? Maybe he should bring Papyrus along as well? Hopefully this was something they could tackle with ease, but Sans had the distinct feeling that wouldn't be the case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look what fic finally got updated? It took me awhile to get back into it but here's the next chapter. Again my other fics have my priorities so updates with this one are slow.
> 
> Leave a comment if you want to! They make my day and help me stay motivated.


	20. First Day of School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Papyus finally makes it back to school, and things are far darker then he remembered.

“Got your books?”

“Yes brother.” Sans scratched his chin thoughtfully at Papyrus’ response.

“What about your lunch? Pencils? Backpack?”

“Yes, yes and yes.” Papyrus replied. They were all still packed from the other day, and he really wasn't sure how much more he could carry. Sans nodded his approval, taking a peek through the curtains.

“Clear caverns today. Ya ready for your new first official day back?”

“I guess…” Papyrus whispered.

“Hey, everything will be fine.” The elder patted his shoulder gently. “I promise it will be just fine Pappy. Everyone will be happy to see you, and I’ll be right here the whole way.” Sans smiled reassuringly, a face Papyrus had a hard time not smiling back at. “See? Now let's get going.” 

The two held hands as they exited the house and made their way down the street. There were plenty of students currently making their ways to school too, several of which couldn't help staring at the two skeleton brothers. Papyrus smiled back, but that only seemed to make them turn away. Thankfully the trip didn't take long, and the two were at the front of the school as several dozen students flooded in.

Sans waved him off and smiled wide. It was a strained smile, but Papyrus wouldn't comment on it.

With a deep breath Papyrus adjusted the black and green coat Grillby had given him. It was a little big, and having the flappy sleeve was annoying. Would his classmates think he was uncool with the new attire? Then again he was starting to doubt that any of them thought he was ever cool. Most of the students gave him space on the way in and down the hallways, expressions ranging from guilty to curious. He didn't really know why though. There were already plenty of monsters out there with no arms, so why was he such a novelty? Normally he would love this much attention, but it wasn't the type of positive affection he craved. No, it was like the normal glares he'd get before people started name calling.

“Good morning Papyrus.” The teacher said with a soft smile. At some point Papyrus had made his way to the classroom.

“H-hello Ms. Faun!” Papyrus smiled in an attempt to muster his normal bravado. He stood stock still for a moment, unsure what he should do now.

“Don't be shy. Your desk is in the same place as always.” Ms. Faun gestured to his seat in the third row.

“O-of course! Sorry.” The skeleton smiled awkwardly and turned towards the students, slowly moving forward. Papyrus kept his eyelights downcast, but the rest of his senses were focused. He had to keep an eye open for warnings. Something bad could happen again if he wasn't careful. The best way to proceed was with vigilance. The other students seemed rather quiet at his approach, some staring as his flappy sleeve while others began whispering amongst themselves. A sharp throat clearing noise from Ms. Faun made them all stop and go back to their notes. It was fine he supposed, he overheard Sans on the phone with Ms. Faun asking about “the talk” yesterday, so clearly their teacher must of had a special lecture with the students before he came back. Why wouldn't they include him though? Was he too weird? Or bad? Perhaps it was something else-

“Alright class.” Ms. Faun stood up behind the podium. “We’ll start by going over your writing assignment. Please open up your workbooks.” At some point Papyrus had sat down at his desk, along with unpacking his backpack. Strange, he must have “zoned out” as Sans puts it. He has been doing that a lot recently.

Shaking the thoughts away Papyrus grabbed his workbook and opened to page fourteen.

“You actually had to do homework?” A mouse monster on his left leaned over and asked. Papyrus jumped a bit at the unexpected question, but gave a stiff smile and nodded when the other raised an eyebrow. He had hoped being away from school meant he wouldn't have to do any homework, but the last few weeks Sans had made him. Brother said he needed to get “back in the swing of things,” though Papyrus really disagreed.

“Wait, what's that say?” The rabbit monster to his right tried sneaking a better peak. Papyrus hurriedly covered the page with his hand, hoping to hide his horrific print. His handwriting was impeccable before, and it would be perfect again in no time! He just needed more practice and it would be fine!

“Alright students, today we will once again be covering nouns. Now, who can tell me what a noun is? Yes Penny.”

“Oh! It's an object!” The young doe in the front said eagerly.

“That's right! But they can be more than just objects.” She removed the cap from her marker and wrote three large words.

Person

Place

Thing

“A noun is the subject of a sentence, and can be a person, place or thing. Now, why don't we go around the room and read off one noun from your homework. We'll start with Penny.” The young girl looked down at her homework eagerly.

“House!”

“Very good! Now you Sam.”

While the other students read their answers Papyrus looked down at his homework trying to find a good response. He knew he came up with great ones… he just couldn't read them. He… he couldn't read his own handwriting? Stars what happens when Ms. Fawn called on him and he can't read her an answer?! He’ll be so uncool and in big trouble and-

“Papyrus?” The skeleton jolted at the concerned voice, nearly falling from his chair. The other students laughed as he clumsily corrected himself, trying to smile like he normally would at their laughter but failing miserably.

“Uhh… I-I…” Stars he couldn't think straight.

“Not quite. ‘I’ is a pronoun. You would want to refer to a specific person to make it a noun.”

“N-no that's not-” the snickering and giggles from around the room made him tense. Oh no, it's happening again! He made himself look like an idiot! Papyrus was starting to get really scared again and that horrible feeling in his soul was coming back. Stiffly he gripped his shirt tightly. He didn't like this feeling, all he wanted was to feel normal again. Why was everything so awful all the time? Why-

The sudden sound of the bell ringing made him jolt. The students around him quickly rushed towards the door for lunch, but the little skeleton was glued to his desk still trying to steady himself. Was class really over already? Papyrus looked up to see the word “Pronouns” written on the board with several examples listed underneath it. Huh, it really has been longer than he thought. Slowly the skeleton grabbed the tin lunch box from his backpack, deciding to eat at his desk instead of the cafeteria. He was sure no one would mind. He always sat by himself at lunch anyway, and the lunchroom was very noisy. He wasn't sure if he could handle that right now.

Slowly he took the peanut butter and jelly sandwich from his lunchbox. The same lunch he always ate. It was cut down the center to form triangles, and Sans had even cut the crust off this morning, a rarity for his older brother. He ate it without complaint, putting the lunchbox away and looking out the window when finished. His classmates were already running around, laughing, building snowmen. Would they let him play with them now? Part of him really doubted it, but there was always that small ray of hope. Gingerly he pulled his coat back on and made his way outside. Snow wasn't falling right now, so that had to be a good thing, right? And look! His friends were even at the far end of the playground!

“Hello friends!” Papyrus mustered up all of his enthusiasm. These were his friends, the ones that showed him their secret hideout. He could certainly feel comfortable around them. It wasn't until he got closer that he bagan having second thoughts.

“Hey look, it's the dweeb.” The rabbit monster said with an ounce of disgusted.

“I-I am glad to see that you are all okay!” Papyrus tried recovering. “How has school been? I've been away for a while-”

“Save it!” She cut him off. “You told on us. I've been double grounded because of you. And I'm not the only one paying for it, Tattle-tale.” She squinted her eyes at him while the other three glanced in every other direction.

“I'm sorry you got in trouble, I-I was just worried-” 

“I said shut up!” She grabbed Papyrus’ coat collar and pushed him hard against the fence. “We don't play with losers or tattle-tales, so you should beat it before I beat you!” She flung him to the ground, walking away with her friends close behind. Papyrus got to his knees and sniffled. That wasn't very nice of them. He supposed he really didn't have any friends after all. Slowly he made his way over to the farthest swing on the swingset. Wiping the tears away he took a seat, watching all of the other kids play while he sat by himself.

Why was he such a loser? Why did he even try? Nobody would ever like him, he knew that. The ‘get well soon’ cards from his classmates really didn't mean anything, so why did they bother sending them? It just wasn't fair. He sat there for what felt like forever, hand holding the rope while he looked down at his open jacket. He couldn't even zip it by himself anymore. Things really weren't fair were they? Or maybe he deserved everything he was getting? It's what happens to the weird and unwanted he supposed.

When the bell rang everyone made their way back to the building, except Papyrus. He didn't want to go back, would anyone even realise he wasn't in class? Slowly he stood upright, dragging his feet in the snow making a long rut as he went. He didn't want to go back inside. He didn't want everyone seeing him cry either. Instead of going straight for the classroom he hung a left at the janitor's closet, closing the door behind him and curling up on the ground. It was dark and quiet in here. No one would judge him or laugh at him here.

\------------

He sat there for a long time. He wasn't sure how long he had been crying, but he didn't want to go to class now. Papyrus supposed he would be stuck here until everyone left school then if he didn't want to be noticed. Would he keep Sans waiting? His older brother said he would be waiting for him after school. Would Sans get mad if he wasn't there right away-

The door opened suddenly, causing Papyrus to nearly jump out of his boots. He summoned a messy bone wall between himself and the intruder, only feeling slightly better after realising it was the janitor.

“There you are.” The bear monster stated. “There are several teachers looking for you right now.” Papyrus didn't respond, only increasing the number of bones surrounding himself. “Look kid. I know we all have skeletons in our closets, but this is taking it a little far.” The big brown bear snickered at his clever joke, but Papyrus only turned his head and pouted. With a sigh the janitor closed the door and made his way down the hallway. It was only a few minutes before the door opened again, this time the janitor being accompanied by Ms. Faun.

“Oh thank goodness.” The deer monster sighed with relief. “You cannot just wander off like this Papyrus. We were worried about you.” The skeleton couldn't even muster a smile, only able to wipe his tears and stare straight ahead. 

The teacher chose to kneel down next to him instead. “Come on now. I thought you loved school?” Papyrus shook his head, hiding his face in his knees. He was a bit worried of hurting her feelings, but his own heart was aching far worse.

“I know it's hard now, but things will get better. Now why don't we return to class?” She offered her hand, but the skeleton didn't take it. He didn't want to go back if everyone would just laugh at him again.

“Papyrus.” She said in a far sturner tone. He knew that voice, the voice she used when someone was in trouble. Was he really in trouble though? He did skip class and hide without telling anyone, so he supposed he would be. There's only one way to avoid more trouble then.

Without making eye contact Papyrus lowered the bones and begrudgingly took her hand. She let out a small sigh of relief, though the child couldn't share in her exuberance.

“Very good. Now let's go back to class.” The two stood up and headed down the hallway to that all too familiar classroom, where the students would whisper mean things about him and call him names. This was a very bad day indeed, and Papyrus had a feeling it would be. He just never thought it could be this bad. All he really wanted to do was go home and never come back.

\------------

The bell rang and students quickly flooded the hallway. Papyrus took his time. Even if Sans was waiting for him outside he couldn't bring himself to hurry. Not until more students left anyway. 

With his last classmate gone Papyrus finally stood. Sluggishly he made his way outside, only to see a rather antsy Sans waiting for him. His brother’s expression quickly turned to relief as he made his way closer.

“How was school Pappy?” Sans asked with a wide smile. Papyrus wasn't sure how to answer. He wanted to be truthful, but at the same time the amount of desperation in Sans’ expression worried him.

“... It was good.” Papyrus finally said quietly. The instant relief in Sans’ face was obvious, though he quickly tried to fall back into his laid back persona.

“Good to hear bud.” Sans sighed. “Let's go home and make dinner. Anything ya want. Sound good?” Papyrus gave a small nod, following his brother down the street.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey next chapter is out! I actually had a long debate about posting this one, seeing as it would originally take the place of last chapter, but ideas ultimately changed. I liked a lot of the stuff in it though and didn't want to cut it out entirely, so here's a bonus chapter of the time leading up to the Gerson visit. It's not necessary, but you guys seem to like tune in for this kind of stuff so why not?
> 
> Also, 3221 views on my first fic?! And 217 kudos! Geeze you guys are awesome XD
> 
> Leave a comment if ya want to! They make me happy and keep me motivated.


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